Let's play: Buzz Aldrin's Race Into Space

[PeZook]

Astronaut, Fax. Not astronauts.

[FaxModem1]

Spoiler

Oh. Whoops

The Police then ran out of the headquarters and grabbed Biff, dragging him back inside.

"Made mistake. Compensation."

It was a coupon for Brie cheese at a local store. Fox decided to walk back to the conference, deciding to tell Sam what was going on.

On his way back, he saw two Zenobians. One wearing a uniform and carrying a pistol, the other wearing pen protectors and carrying several charts and notes. One of those notes slipped in the wind.

Fox picked it up to return it to him, but they were already gone. Shrugging, he headed back to Sam to let him know what was going on.

[Simon_Jester]

Huh, yeah. I was under the impression the decisions were to be made at the air show, but that works just fine.

C'mon, PeZook, in real life this kind of stuff takes a long time to gel. The air show provides the initial impulse, but that doesn't mean both sides, in character, determine Right Then And There that they're going to the moon by minishuttle.

[PeZook]

C'mon, PeZook, in real life this kind of stuff takes a long time to gel. The air show provides the initial impulse, but that doesn't mean both sides, in character, determine Right Then And There that they're going to the moon by minishuttle.

Yeah, well, the theme of the thread is exagerrated and satirical

EDIT: BTW, I think the comissar could plausibly suspect disinformation on the part of the Murcans.

[Simon_Jester]

Disinformation?

Certainly a possibility. But then, we won't be spending serious money on the things for a good while (in character), so there is plenty of time for a disinformation attempt to become clear. Worst case, if we don't hear anything in their newspapers about incipient spaceplanes for the next year or two, we write it off as a disinformation attempt and all we've lost is the services of a few men and a drawing board for a while- and learned some things about heat shields in return.

(C'mon, PeZook, work with us here... )

[PeZook]

Well, I don't particularly care how exactly it comes about

However, suspecting a deliberate disinformation attempt might make for more delicious cold war irony, where Zenobia thinks Murca tried to cheat them into spending money on a white elephant. However, Murca finds out Zenobia had been doing studies about the shuttles, and do their own study, which is stolen by Zenobia, who now think it wasn't disinformation at all, so they start a development program while trying to get Murcans to think the shuttles are indeed a white elephant, but Murca smells something fishy and goes full speed with their own minishuttle program.

Whew.

Just a proposal, though. Entirely optional and non-binding

[FaxModem1]

Fox went to Sam Francisco and explained what happened to Biff.

"I think they're either mad about the tower or that I didn't tip."

Sam pointed to the paper in Fox's hands.

"Yeah, a couple Zenobians dropped this. I was gonna return it, but they disappeared after I picked it up."

Fox handed Sam a crude drawing with Zenobian letters on it, it looked like some sort of plane.

[Simon_Jester]

Plan Pavylyvych, Fall 1961

Still we suffer from the consequences of the failure of the Derevnya Gadyukino Precision Alloy Tubing Plant to ensure proper quality control. Pointed investigation into the failures at Derevnya Gadyukino is ongoing.

For this reason, the planned manned orbital launch has been postponed to Spring 1962; preparations and training must proceed apace if we are to retain (or in worst case, recover) our initial lead over the Murcans.

BUDGET: 46 MB

10 MB: 5 teams research on A-Series rocket.
12 MB: Purchase 2 A-Series rockets and 2 Vostok capsules for test flight.
18 MB: Begin EVA suit research.
5 MB: 5 teams EVA suit research.
1 MB surplus

Plan orbital manned Vostok/A-Series flight for Spring 1962. Primary is I. I. IVANOV, backup is Karzanovski.*
Plan orbital manned Vostok/A-Series flight for Spring 1962. Primary is N. Nikov, backup is G. Titov.

*Examination of Cosmodrome paperwork indicates that Comrade Cosmonaut Karzanovski's first name is not recorded in our archives. This oversight must be rectified at once, lest it result in catastrophic awkwardness when dealing with Pravda reporters in later years. If Comrade Cosmonaut Karzanovski does not possess a first name compliant with Cosmonaut Corps regulations, he is ordered to report to the Chief Designer's office at once, where he will be assigned one from the spare parts bin.

[OmegaChief]

Spoiler

While it might be disinformation, the shuttle-bomber as described by the Project manager sounds like a direction research should go in anyway, for the good of the Onion!

[PeZook]

Okay.I will run through fall 1961 as soon as the muecans deliver their plan. Zenobians will also learn who the "traitor" (aka cosmonaut who'd rather mine uranium in Khylima than fly the Vostok) is then

[Simon_Jester]

Don't forget to edit in the Launch No One Remembers!

[HMS Sophia]

Spoiler

I had a feeling, so I checked back through the thread... the Muricans have already presented a plan, all the way back on page 23

Then, in fall of '61, we shall do:
5 teams research on both EVA suits and mercury (10MB)
Those launches will cost us 12MB in rockets and such
(That leaves us 19MB to carry over to next year)
schedule lots of launches.
Manned orbital will mcCain/Kelly
Manned duration with... can you reuse crews from last year? At which point Ohjesus/hardbeef

There you go

[FaxModem1]

Spoiler

Sam also has Fox shoving papers in front of him, maybe he should notice.

Fox showed Sam the papers, wondering what they were.

[PeZook]

I had a feeling, so I checked back through the thread... the Muricans have already presented a plan, all the way back on page 23

I know,but since that was nine pages ago, you might've wanted to review it and change some stuff.

Especially since you declared research on the Mercury, which is already past maximum R&D.

[HMS Sophia]

Save the cash, for titan (and maybe minishuttles eventually?)

---

Sam takes the sheet from Fox, looking at it carefully. Seeing the sketches of high altitude aircraft, he starts thinking, about the possibility of a better, bigger, Murican version.
"Thanks Fox. This'll be a great help"

[FaxModem1]

Fox asks, "What exactly is it, Doc? It looks like a plane, but the wings are all wrong."

He scratches his head, trying to figure it out.

[HMS Sophia]

Fox asks, "What exactly is it, Doc? It looks like a plane, but the wings are all wrong."

He scratches his head, trying to figure it out.

"By the looks of things it's a space plane" Sam says, looking up. Seeing fox's confused expression, he continues "It's launched on top of a rocket, functions like a capsule in space, but then it glides back into the atmosphere like a normal aircraft. It makes it a reusable craft, very good for saving money. Plus it means any astronauts from the air force or the Navy get to fly again, which is always fun to see."

[FaxModem1]

Fox looks at the drawing again, and then smiles.

"I want to fly it."

[HMS Sophia]

Fox looks at the drawing again, and then smiles.

"I want to fly it."

Sam grins "You really are brothers... Well, first we have to design it, the we have to build it... But yeah, you'll be able to fly it" he says

[PeZook]

Save the cash, for titan (and maybe minishuttles eventually?)

---

Also



Press Y/N

_

[HMS Sophia]

press yeah, do it now.

[FaxModem1]

Spoiler

Two years in a row, really? How often does our rockets have to break down?

[PeZook]

What?

[FaxModem1]

Is this the second time our rockets have broken down or are we redealing with the same situation?

[PeZook]

Is this the second time our rockets have broken down or are we redealing with the same situation?

It's a confirmation of the decision for Fall 1961