They could succeed.
The protracted period of the cold war led the opposing countries technology to a whole new level. The conditions in which the risk of destruction of the nation was regarded as quite a possible variant of development of events forced the designers to accumulate all creative forces, creating a technique is an incredible level. A side effect of this complex phase was a useful project.
In 1957, the Soviet Union and the United States transferred the cold war to a new level. The competition is now conducted not only in the air, on land and water, but in space. Countries tried to gain superiority even in that environment, which, at the time, had almost no idea. Oddly enough, the race really brought useful benefits to all participants. But technically successful projects were considered by the leaders of the countries, rather, as a side effect. A key role was played by the successful propaganda: one or the other side did, at times, stridently loud statements about another victory in the cosmic depths. Unfortunately, a good many of the announced projects remained words and drawings on paper. Today we will tell you about some of the most interesting space programs of the Soviet Union that never was
The Project “Spiral”
The ambitious project, which started in 1966, involved the creation of a real space fighter. The orbit of the machine raised a special aircraft razgorsek, and then the management took the pilot “Helix”. It was one of the few projects of Soviet engineers, which meant the possibility of human control of the present subcomisario ship. For the pilot were provided a separate capsule serving, in emergency situations, rescue. The program focused on creating a subsonic analog of the orbital plane: MiG-105.11 and now stands in the Central Museum of Military air forces of the Russian Federation.
Battle station SKIF
Orbital platform under the code name “Scythian” was to strike the foe with the heaven of a red-hot laser beam. In addition, this super-ship to be fitted with special weapons for the destruction of nuclear warheads. If the project saw the light, that would be the final step in the space race between the two countries-giants. Seventeen years spent Soviet engineers in the production and grinding of “SKIF”. May 15, 1987 (that is, when not only ended the cold war, but came to an end the existence of the country itself), from the Baikonur cosmodrome launched a carrier rocket “Energy”. She was a draft horse for battle stations. Unfortunately, the story of “SKIF” completed: due to a software error the device has been switched on the engines in the wrong direction and headed, instead of the orbit to the native Land and ignominiously sank in the Pacific ocean.
The Colonization Of Mars
Project of flight to Mars appeared in 1959. He was, oddly enough, is quite feasible technically: triple interplanetary vessel was equipped with everything necessary for human survival. Is not satisfactory and the rocket block, which was supposed to disperse the ship to the red planet. It was supposed to create in earth orbit multi-modal case, where was the start of the spaceship. In addition, the engineers of the Soviet Bureau OKB-1 very seriously considered the possibility of launching astronauts on the planet’s surface. Flight tests successfully carried out on-orbit lunar landing module. However, the government decided that the moon landing is a much more promising project, the history of Mars, without sufficient funding, were simply forgotten.
The Soviet lunar program
The Soviet Union had great plans for exploration of the moon. Planning the landing on the Earth’s satellite began in 1963. The beginning of the program was quite successful: a few successful projects, implement a series of inspections of the crew, and the equipment. But max, what made the designers was the creation of a spacecraft “ZOND” that were based on already existing at the time the Soyuz spacecraft. Unfortunately, our engineers have puzzled over the disadvantages of the carrier rocket “proton-1”, came the 1969 Americans landed on the moon first space programme has ceased to receive adequate funding.
Flyby of asteroid
Space office the Soviet Union was planning a mission to an asteroid in 1991. It was assumed that the astronauts will visit Vesta, the second largest object in the asteroid belt. This was a joint project with France that may have created unnecessary problems at the stage of agreeing on the details. First flight was delayed until 1994, and canceled completely after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The final plan included a Grand tour of five asteroids near Vesta, and the flyby of Mars and the triumphant return to Earth together with taken in space samples. Unfortunately, neither one is prepared for flight vehicles and never left our planet.
