Apollo-Venus: If History Had Gone Differently - Kerbal Space Program (RSS/RO)

From the False Steps Blog:

By the mid-1960s NASA was well aware that if they successfully completed the Apollo moon landings they would probably face a severe decline in budget for the manned space program. In the hopes of proving their ongoing worth they developed a few different post-Apollo proposals using evolutionary versions of the Apollo hardware, including plans for a manned lunar base, space stations, and planetary exploration. The latter two of these goals were at first grouped under the name Apollo X, and then became the Apollo Applications Program (AAP).

By far the most ambitious of the AAP missions was a manned flyby of the planet Venus. After two preliminary missions in Earth orbit to test the technology, a Saturn V launch would lift an Apollo Command Module into orbit. As in a typical mission, the first two stages of the rocket would be jettisoned. However the uppermost stage, the Saturn IVB, would be kept and drained of any remaining propellant. Using gear stored where the Lunar Landing Module would have been placed in a Moon mission, the astronauts would then rig it as a habitation module.

The resulting 33-meter-long spacecraft would leave Earth orbit on October 31, 1973 and travel towards Venus for 123 days. There would be a flyby on March 3, 1974. The craft would have been aimed to pass Venus as close as 6200 kilometers above the surface (one planet radius) very quickly—orbital mechanics would have it moving relative to Venus at a clip of 16,500 kilometers per hour—crossing the lit side of the planet. A sidescan radar would map the portion of the planet they could see as they flew by, and the astronauts would perform spectroscopic and photographic studies.

A series of probes was to be dropped by the spacecraft, and they were specifically enumerated in the proposal for the Triple Flyby variant of this mission that was mentioned earlier. Near closest approach the MVF would launch an orbiter and fourteen planetary probes; the probes would communicate with the orbiter, which would then beam the results back to Earth.

MVF Mission Trajectory

After that burst of activity the MVF craft would then return home, taking 273 days more to loop out to 1.24 AU from the Sun on a hyperbolic trajectory and eventually swing back to Earth. The astronauts’ landing on Earth would happen on December 1, 1974—total mission time would be 396 days. The Triple Flyby variant would have taken more than 800 days starting in 1977.

When not at Venus, the MVF astronauts would have studied the Sun and solar wind as well as making observations of Mercury, which would be only 0.3 AU away two weeks after the Venus flyby. To keep them occupied otherwise their habitation capsule would have been outfitted with a small movie screen (to show 2 kilograms of movies allowed), and a “viscous damper exercycle/g-conditioner”. The crew would also be allowed 1.5 kilograms of recorded music, 1 kilogram of games, and 9 kilograms of reading material. Hopefully they would choose wisely.

Mods: AIES Aerospace, AnimatedDecouplers, BahaSP, CameraTools, CommunityResourcePack, DistantObject, DMagicScienceAnimate, EngingeGroup Controller, EVE, FASA, FAR, Firespitter, Docking Sounds, JSI, KAS, Kerbal Engineer, KerbalJointReinforcement, Kerbaltek, KIS, Kopernicus, KCSwitcher, Launchers Pack, MagicSmokeIndustries, MechJeb2, ModularFlightIntegrator, NAR_MEM, OLDD, Planetside, ProceduralFairings, Proceduralparts, RCS sounds, realchute, realheat, realismoverhaul, realplume, realscaleboosters, realsolarsystem, renentryparticleEffect, RSS dateTime, RSS textures (HI RES), RSSVE, Scatterer, Science818, SM_Chite, SmokeScreen, SolverEngines, TantaresLV, TextureReplacer, ThunderAerospace, TriggerTexh, Tweakscale, Vapor Vent

[stevenpilling]

Despite all the naysaying here, it actually could have worked. The worst problems, however, would be those of cosmic radiation and prolonged weightlessness. We've learned much about that since on Mir and ISS. They knew little about that then. Assuming a two man crew, they might have made it and back. They would have been plagued with health problems ever after, though. In essence, they'd have been human guinea pigs for the experience of longer duration missions to Mars, Mercury and beyond. They'd have all known that beforehand. I can guarantee you that there would be no lack of volunteers for the mission.

[tisi]

A year and a half suffering in space, and when they get home the Navy forgets to send a carrier.

[ricerocket]

Who else remembers 2017 KSP when mods were constantly updated and you could run 100s of them without compatibility issues

[yourdad]

_The sheer amount of mods make it seem like it _*_isn’t even KSP anymore_*

[audacity]

The longest Apollo Skylab mission lasted 84 days.

[HailAnts]

This would have been worth 50 boring Shuttle missions. A fraction of their cost too...

[JugSouthgate]

There's one BIG problem with this....and it's probably good this project never happened.The Apollo CSM and related hardware was good for a few dozen days. A mission to Venus, as shown, would last about 400 days, with no possibility of resupply or escape if something critical broke down.There is also the question of how much radiation exposure they'd get. Earth's magnetosphere offers some protection to astronauts in Low Earth Orbit, and half the time they're in Earth's shadow. But a mission beyond LEO spends almost all its time without any of that protection, and when going to Venus the exposure increases because Venus is closer to the Sun than Earth.

[DistracticusPrime]

Wow, I am very impressed! Just getting RO to install and work properly is a project itself. Getting it to look this beautiful is a feat. Oh and then there's this mission with just a few little details to figure out. Good job man!

[doodxv]

only 700 views man you deserve at least 50, 000

your videos are better then mine

[kerbal]

Can You Imagine How Different The World Would Be If This Mission Happened?

[tbx]

When I saw the probe i went “Wait this is KSP?”

[absolutcabbagery]

I am in awe that not only was this was a considered plan, but some of the ideas like using the third stage for habitation came to fruition.

[luxordeathbed]

I have gone through the original document used to propose the mission. What they had in mind was mind blowing. This is a close representation of that mission. What source(s) did you use?

[tomvendittelli]

Wow this is incredible. Amazing camera work and attention to detail with everything. Such as firing the ullage and the reentry spin.

[innsj]

Very well made. It's amazing to think this could have actually happened if NASA had the budget.

[TractorJacked]

The introduction text gives me some serious Top Gun vibes, I love it.

[skyearthocean]

Gravity assist from Venus sends you back into a higher orbit. A small course correction midway and you’re home. Imagine the science points we’d have gotten from that! ;)

[ronschlorff]

It would be interesting to speculate on who would crew such a mission. Likely veteran commanders of the Apollo moon missions, but which three would you choose? I have my favorites but they are not the "obvious ones". All but Shepard (Apollo 14) were pretty "young" when they went to the moon, mid to late thirties, and would be only in early 40's for this mission.

[znek]

Fun fact: The Saturn V rocket (the rocket we went with to the moon) was designed to go to Mars and not the moon.

[mjmitz]

Interesting....when I was a kid they thought Venus was earth's twin until they sent unmanned probes there...The 3rd stage became the long lasting Skylab missions.