Recent content by Nathan

I have a disk I bought from this website, which has a map of the world for every year since 3000 BC. So yeah, I have no problem obtaining base maps. Here's an example from 1592:

If the shuttle program is revived, then perhaps one of the lost opportunities to reclaim may be project Star Wars. Certainly, from a DOD side that would be a satisfyingly practical use of space technology. If completed, this project would protect the nation in a massive defense network similar...

Further development of the space program post Challenger would hinge on what benefits could be brought from space, and whether these benefits outweigh the costs. On the economic side, civilians in space starting with McAliffe would eventually lead to space entrepreneurs, and that would be...

Very true. That's why my scenario was to not change over to Mark II in 1985, but just to add some of the safety features to Mark I that were actually developed post challenger OTL. Later on, as the space program expands, there would be demands for an improved Shuttle. Alternatively, I considered...

I really like this. I think it makes sense to change it to a TAL, and perhaps land the orbiter at Lajes Field in the Azores or something. This would definitely provide the necessary shock to improve the Shuttle's systems. It also adds the necessary heroism to boost popularity of the space...

How's this for a starting scenario? In 1985, in light of concerns from engineers at the Marshal Flight Center, NASA improves the case metal hardware to the Challenger's SRBs and adds a third o-ring. Also, heaters are added to thermally condition the sealing systems, knowing that the launch is...

Thanks for the input, I'll definitely take these into consideration. I expect that if McAuliffe's publicity and general faith in the space program were maintained, then the politics would eventually follow suit. Ronald Reagan was taking special precautions to ensure popularity of space, and...

Something like that. I figured we would have completely upgraded to orbital space planes by the 1990s, and then start developing interplanetary travel from there.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm considering whether to make a timeline off of this, starting with the shuttle being replaced in the 1980s with an alternate design (like Shuttle II or VentureStar). NASA had so many different ideas back then, I would think it would have been easy to switch over...

I know this POD has been discussed before, but I still find it a fascinating topic: what if the space program wasn't traumatized in its adolescence? The Challenger disaster was no doubt the biggest blow the popularity of space exploration. First all missions were cancelled for three years...