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

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2011-07-23 01:00pm

Plan Pavylyvych Fall 1967

Greetings from the desk of the Chief Designer. All proceeds well, including work on the super-ship. Our current plan is to wind up the Voskhod/Zond program with another manned flight in early 1968. The advanced Zond capsule prototypes will be kept in storage and work on them will be sustained on a limited basis, but at this time we expect the super-ship to take on the duties of the manned lunar program in future years.

I must express my particular admiration for the Baikonurek Armor Plate Production Plant's work on the super-ship. All will be revealed soon, but preliminary testing has been most promising.

The Unmanned Planetary Lab has announced further lunar probe missions to fly by and orbit the moon, thus giving us more techno-scientific data on lunar conditions for the future landerbot and landerman missions. These missions will use Mini-SnoopSatellite Comrade technology to take the first high quality photographs of potential landing sites, and also a more detailed mapping of the dark side of the moon!

Forward the march of Zenobian science and exploration!

Budget: 80 megarubleoids

Hardware Purchase
Purchase 1 Titan rocket: 12 MB
Purchase 1 Cosmos probe: 3 MB
Purchase 1 A-Series rocket: 3 MB
Purchase 1 Booster stage: 4 MB
Purchase 1 Voskhod capsule: 6 MB
Purchase 1 Docking module: 2 MB

Total cost: 30 MB
Remaining budget: 50 MB

Research and Development
3 teams Luna probe research: 12 MB
Remaining budget: 38 MB

[hold this in reserve for Lapot development next year]

Cosmonaut Management
Break the team KARZANOVSKI/YEBANOV

Try to match Karzanovski to another mission-specialist cosmonaut for a Voskhod team- any cosmonaut.

Pull Klimuk out of cosmonaut training; he already has Capsule 4 and is too valuable to be left in there. Try to match him to a mission-specialist cosmonaut.

IF in this way we can form two teams with CAP 4 pilots, say "hurray!" and proceed to next step. (EDIT: If you have to break the Petrov/Beregovoy team to make two teams with one CAP 4 pilot each, that is fine)

If NOT, say "crap" and I need to think about what to do next. Plan is scrubbed, and I know that means you'll probably have to do my turn over. Sorry.

Schedule Missions
Schedule one manned Voskhod Duration C.
Primary crew is KARZANOVSKI/_____________
Secondary crew is KLIMUK/_____________

Mission Go/No-Go Status
We are GO for Lunar flyby. Go forth, Comrade Probe-bot! I'll see you on the dark side of the moon!
We are GO for unmanned Voskhod docking test.

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2011-07-23 01:03pm

Does this make sense, guys? My caffeine/sleep balance is off today, so I want to double-check.

PeZook · Post by **PeZook** » 2011-07-23 01:07pm

Simon_Jester wrote:Does this make sense, guys? My caffeine/sleep balance is off today, so I want to double-check.

Everything is clear except for me doing your turn over. Compatibilities aren't random, so I'll just try to mix and match the cosmonauts first and report the results

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2011-07-23 01:16pm

PeZook wrote:
Simon_Jester wrote:Does this make sense, guys? My caffeine/sleep balance is off today, so I want to double-check.
Everything is clear except for me doing your turn over. Compatibilities aren't random, so I'll just try to mix and match the cosmonauts first and report the results

Ah. I wasn't sure if you already knew who was compatible or not. If you didn't, you'd have to experiment.

The problem is that if I can't find crews for Karzanovski and Klimuk, I need to reconsider the merits of flying that Duration C mission. If I can find two CAP 4 crews, then it's practically guaranteed that I'll want to fly the mission. You see my predicament, since I don't know if I'll be able to find crews.

PeZook · Post by **PeZook** » 2011-07-23 01:25pm

No problem, if I find compatible crews I will just run the plan as scheduled, if not I will report it here and you'll decide what to do.

Of course, depending on when the PeZookling decides he's had enough and goes to sleep, it might happen in half an hour, or not before midnight GMT+1

PeZook · Post by **PeZook** » 2011-07-23 01:33pm

Klimuk/Brzeczyszczykiewicz and Karzanovski/Mametov both work, so the plan is a go.

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2011-07-23 01:40pm

I want Klimuk/Brzeczyszczykiewicz as the primary crew, then, and Karzanovski/Mametov as the backup.

PeZook · Post by **PeZook** » 2011-07-23 01:45pm

The real bitch will be forming Murcan crews

OmegaChief · Post by **OmegaChief** » 2011-07-23 01:57pm

Another point of interest, what do you rate our chances (Both teams really) of reaching the moon before 1970? Is it literally impossible at this stage?

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2011-07-23 02:23pm

Extremely unlikely, in my opinion. There's just too much to develop- the Murcans will probably have their minishuttle running first, but they're behind in a number of other areas, particularly docking, and that will eat up a lot of money they don't have.

The minishuttle route is not conducive to reaching the moon before 1970. This shouldn't even be a problem from the Zenobian perspective since we never made a commitment to doing such a thing in the first place, but it is an issue for the Murcans, and looking back I somewhat regret not racing them to Apollo/Soyuz-based options. Though minishuttles are still cool.

LaCroix · Post by **LaCroix** » 2011-07-23 03:28pm

Zeeeeeeeeeenoooooooooobiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!
Zeeeeeeeeeeheeeeeeeeenoooooooooooobiaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!
Zeeeeh-eeeee-heeee-eeeeeeee-nooooobiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

After singing the anthem, Gzregorz rang the anvil he had appropriated from his time in the workshop...

PeZook · Post by **PeZook** » 2011-07-23 04:56pm

While I won't be able to simulate the next turn tonight (besides, EF hadn't said if he plans to launch anything in spring 1968

), here are some 1960s GRAPHS:

DIRECTOR RANKINGS

ALL IMPORTANT PRESTIGE SUMMARIES

BUT...WHAT DO POLITICOES THINK?!

AND JUST FOR FUN...YOUR EXCELLENT INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES!

FaxModem1 · Post by **FaxModem1** » 2011-07-23 05:06pm

Yeesh, we're doing really badly compared to our real counterparts, aren't we?

Post by **Eternal_Freedom** » 2011-07-23 05:13pm

No, no planned launches PeZook. I can't afford the damn things. Man, I'm starting to hate this game...

HMS Sophia · Post by **HMS Sophia** » 2011-07-23 05:15pm

I'm considering defecting to the Onion. Would they let me?

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2011-07-23 06:41pm

FaxModem1 wrote:Yeesh, we're doing really badly compared to our real counterparts, aren't we?

I'm not- I've hit about all the same historical milestones as the Soviet program except for landing a probe on the moon, and have successfully hit milestones the Soviets never accomplished (or not in this timeframe) with manned docking and Mars probes.

(Incidentally, the game makes 'lunar flyby' and other such milestones ahistorically difficult by requiring a very expensive Proton/Titan rocket to launch them...)

The Murcans are doing badly- frankly, I think abandoning Gemini was a bad choice, because it effectively abandoned the field of manned orbital firsts to me at a time when the Murcans were still more or less in the lead.

PeZook · Post by **PeZook** » 2011-07-25 02:06am

Murcans: I can make two compatible XMS-2 flight crews out of available astronauts:

Crew 1: Conrad/Brown/Rexmodem
Crew 2: Ravensburg/Barn Est I/Borman

Olds doesn't really fit with any other two astronauts.

The problem is, of course, that both have a retiring astronaut on them

Since it won't hurt morale, though, I'll leave the crews like that and form new ones later.

PeZook · Post by **PeZook** » 2011-07-25 03:49am

MISSIONS LAUNCH
VOSKHOD XI, OCTOBER 1967

"Ho ho ho, comrades! With one hand on the wheel!",the engineerski who handled remote control of the docking maneuver did a victory dance, complete with pelvic thrusts, fist pumps and hooting and hollering.

"Boo yah! Who's the man, da? Who's the man?"

He was never heard from again.

***

COSMOS V/LUNA III, DECEMBER 1967

Three days within the flight, the Luna III probe was safely on orbit around the Moon. It was a great display of Socialist technical thought, an achievemt of the working masses, triumph of social equality over capitalist opression.

Nobody really cared. The event wasn't even propagandized anymore: the people were no longer in awe of lunar photographs,much like they didn't care about heroic exploits of Baikonurek's cleaning staff (which were heroic indeed - anybody who had to clean up the restrooms after a prestige first brought increased vodka rations could attest to that!)

Only the scientists cared, because lunar photographs were extremely important for selection of a future landing site.

It would have helped if Luna III was able to send any pictures, of course. Six days into the flight, with communications still down, the mission was terminated.

Nobody would speak of it again. While routine spaceflight successes were a thing nobody cared about, routine spaceflight failures of the Motherland simply did not exist.

Officially.

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2011-07-25 03:59am

Shits. Well, there it is. I'm hoping for a few more lunar flyby successes in 1968, not least to improve Proton reliability, before the landerbot launch. But having one probe fail is hardly unexpected.

PeZook · Post by **PeZook** » 2011-07-25 04:24am

CHAPTER 9: BUDGETS
Time is: Spring 1968

MURCA
TEDDY SPACE CENTER

"In closing: the taxpayer funded excesses and debauchery of MASA have to come to a stop. I stand 100% by the President when he says spending on the space program is wasteful,ineffective and stands to bring us nothing but embarassment and the most expensive set of useless toys this side of a customized Sloop race car. Thank you."

Johny von Braun turned the radio off and turned towards his aides. Surprisingly enough, they were smiling. One was grinning.

It was Sam Francisco, "I have no idea, Director, how on Earth did you manage to get these fuckers to actually give us more money this year, after all the shit we've been getting from Congress...but I wam in awe. Did you threaten to kill someone with a rocket test?"

"I can't say", Johny said with a mysterious expression. Jawohl, he did!

"Oh come on, boss! We're not gonna say anything!"

"Nein. The important part is that we wave eighty-five megabucks where previously we had eighty. We must make them count. Is ze superweapon ready?"

"You mean supership..."

"Oh, ja, ja. Is it ready?"

"Nein...err,I mean no, Director. We estimate we'll need another year before..."

"DIRECTOR!", and excited John May suddenly burst into the office, with a huge grin on his face, "Director,come quick!"

The haggistani didn't seem to care about the angry faces accosting him,"It's the funniest thing ever!"

"What? What is it?!"

"It's Swigert, sir! Come quickly, before the paramedics take him away!"

The mention of paramedics made everyone leap to their feet. The Haggistani didn't seem very horrified, but everybody knew he was crazy. The administrative officials rushed to the parking lot...where a very dismayed and very very blue Jack Swigert lay, clutching his crotch. His astronaut colleagues were gathered around, joking and pointing at him.

"What the..."

"He got kicked! By a lady! With a high heel! Isn't that great?", May had a massive grin on his face.

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD,PEOPLE!"

Code: Select all

Current funds: 85 megabucks

Astronauts in XMS-2 program:

Crew I
PILOT: CONRAD - CAP 4, LM 1, EVA 1, DOCK 1, END 3 ; MOOD: 42
EVA SPECIALIST: BROWN - CAP 4, LM 2, EVA 2, DOCK 1, END 2 ; MOOD: 44
DOCKING SPECIALIST: REXMODEM - CAP 4, LM 3, EVA 3, DOCK 1, END 0 ; MOOD: 16 - will retire next season

Crew II:
PILOT: RAVENSBURG - CAP 3, LM 3, EVA 0, DOCK 0, END 4 ; MOOD: 38
EVA SPECILAIST: BARNESTI - CAP 2, LM 0, EVA 2, DOCK 2, END 4 ; MOOD: 45
DOCKING SPECIALIST: BORMAN - CAP 2, LM 0, EVA 2, DOCK 2, END 4 ; MOOD: 56 - will retire next season

Astronauts in training:
MAY - CAP 3, LM 2, EVA 2, DOCK 2, END 2
LOOPY - CAP 4, LM 0, EVA 2, DOCK 3, END 2
ROCKET - CAP 2, LM 0, EVA 2, DOCK 2, END 2
SUITCASE - CAP 3, LM 2, EVA 2, DOCK 4, END 1
HAISE - CAP 3, LM 3, EVA 0, DOCK 0, END 2
CHAFFEE - CAP 0, LM 0, EVA 2, DOCK 3, END 2
EISELE - CAP 0, LM 0, EVA 2, DOCK 0, END 3
CUNNINGHAM - CAP 1, LM 2, EVA 1, DOCK 0, END 2
MCCANDLESS - CAP 3, LM 0, EVA 0, DOCK 2, END 1
SWIGERT - CAP 2, LM 0, EVA 0, DOCK 1, END 1
ANDERS - CAP 0, LM 0, EVA 2, DOCK 2, END 1
WILLIAMS - CAP 1, LM 3, EVA 1, DOCK 1, END 1
COLLINS - CAP 0, LM 3, EVA 3, DOCK 1, END 1
GORDON - CAP 0, LM 0, EVA 2, DOCK 2, END 3

Unassigned astronauts:
OLDS - CAP 3, LM 0, EVA 0, DOCK 3, END 3 ; MOOD: 51

Other astronauts:
KNIGHT - retired fall 1967
FLASHHEART - retired fall 1967
MODEMJR - retired spring 1965
CUNTSER - retired fall 1965
KELLY - retired spring 1965
MCCAIN - retired fall 1963
HARDBEEF -  retired spring 1963
OHJESUS - DECEASED, MERCURY IX
JOHNSON - DECEASED, MERCURY XVI

Programs running: Explorer, Ranger, Mighty Strapons, Atlas, Titan, Mercury, XMS-2, EVA Suits

Launch pads: 3

Scheduled missions: 
Launch Pad A, DESTROYED BY EXPLOSION, 20MB TO FIX
Launch Pad B, none
Launch Pad C, none

ZENOBIA
BAIKONUREK

The hockey putt pierced the concrete wall of the court, flew across a courtyard, broke the Chief Designer's window and smashed the model Proton rocket on Syrgy Pavylyvych's desk.

Syrgy sighed,picking up the putt. He really enjoyed the new administrative building, constructed thanks to lavish funding and equipment priorioties that Baikonurek now enjoyed, but his office on the top floor was really vulnerable to those pranks...

Wait. Did he hear sirens? He better not be hearing sirens!

Syrgy rushed outside, as fast as his battered heart allowed him, and saw an all too familiar scene. NKVDVROM troops surrounding the gym,ambulances driving up, toothless astronauts being checked out for other injuries.

"Comrade Omeganski...", the chief designer asked, not hoping for much of an answer,"Could I at least know the name of..."

"Nyet,comrade! We will not let the capitalist saboteurs know who they managed to knock out with their vile and most insidious schemes until they are apprehended!"

"Saboteours, comrade? I though this is merely a hockey accident..."

"Nyet.Definitely sabotage. Everybody else suffered merely broken teeth, as usual, while comrade...", the comissar caught himself at the last moment, "...you better go back to your duties, comrade Pavylyvych. I will handle the investigation!"

Code: Select all

Current funds: 174 megarubloids

Cosmonauts in Voskhod program:

KLIMUK - CAP 4, LM 0, EVA 2, DOCK 1, END 2 (CREW I/PILOT) ; MOOD:93
BRZECZYSZCZ - CAP 3, LM 2, EVA 0, DOCK 3, END 3  (CREW I/SPECIALIST) ; MOOD: 33

KARZANOVSKI - CAP 4, LM 1, EVA 0, DOCK 0, END 3  (CREW II/PILOT) ; MOOD: 58
MAMETOV - CAP 2, LM 0, EVA 2, DOCK 2, END 2  (CREW II/SPECIALIST) ; MOOD: 67

PETROV - CAP 2, LM 1, EVA 0, DOCK 3, END 2 (CREW IV/PILOT) ; MOOD: 33
BEREGOVOY - CAP 2, LM 1, EVA 1, DOCK 3, END 0 (CREW IV/SPECIALIST) ; MOOD: 54

Cosmonauts not assigned to programs:
BORISOV - CAP 3, LM 0, EVA 2, DOCK 1, END 1  ; MOOD: 58
FAAABIO  - CAP 2, LM 0, EVA 2, DOCK 0, END 3 ; MOOD: 20


Cosmonauts in training:
FILLYERESKI - CAP 1, LM 1, EVA 0, DOCK 3, END 1 
SMIRNOFF - CAP 2, LM 0, EVA 1, DOCK 1, END 2
NEFARTNYI - CAP 2, LM 2, EVA 0, DOCK 3, END 2 
YEBANOVY - CAP 3, LM 2, EVA 0, DOCK 1, END 2 
RUKAVISHNIKOV - CAP 1, LM 1, EVA 1, DOCK 2, END 2 
GRECHKO - CAP 2, LM 1, EVA 0, DOCK 3, END 1 
IVANCHENKOV - CAP 3, LM 1, EVA 0, DOCK 1, END 3 
KOVALYANOK - CAP 2, LM 0, EVA 3, DOCK 1, END 4 
ZHOLOBOV - CAP 1, LM 3, EVA 1, DOCK 0, END 3 
LEBEDEV - CAP 1, LM 1, EVA 2, DOCK 1, END 3 
LAZAREV - CAP 1, LM 1, EVA 0, DOCK 0, END 2
MAKAROV - CAP 0, LM 2, EVA 1, DOCK 2, END 2 

Other cosmonauts:
YEBANOV - retired spring 1968
ALEXANDROV - washed out in training, fall 1967
DIGADITCH - left to join the Red Army, spring 1967
NIKOV - retired Fall 1966
DOSTAROVASKI - Forcibly retired, Fall 1964
TITOV - Retired Spring 1964
IVANOVICH - Grounded due to lung cancer
VLADIMIRENSKY  - Deceased, training accident
IVANOV - Deceased, VOSTOK VII

Programs running: Sputnik, Cosmos satellite, Lunar Probe,A-Series, Proton, Booster stage, Voskhod, EVA Suits, Docking module

Launch pads: 3

Scheduled missions: 
Launch pad A, Manned orbital,Duration-C,Voskhod/Boosted A-Series, Prim:KLIMUK/BRZECZYSZCZYKIEWICZ ,Bkp.KARZANOVSKI/MAMETOV
Launch pad B, None
Launch pad B, None

GM Notes:

Is anybody else amused at the fact Mike Collins can't pilot a capsule worth a damn?

Well, I can't see anything to add. Zenobian budgets are still outrageous, Murcans have a solid year-long lead on the minishuttle, though.

And soon,very soon, you will see just WHY the shuttles are so expensive to research!

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2011-07-25 10:57am

Holy shit that's a lot of money. How did we get that? In any case, I will need to adjust plans to accomodate the budget. Maybe not today, I should be busy today.

Scottish Ninja · Post by **Scottish Ninja** » 2011-07-25 11:01am

To be fair, "Command Module Pilot" doesn't actually involve a lot of piloting of the command module. Though here it looks like he'd be perfect for LM pilot, so at least this time he might actually get to walk on the Moon.

LaCroix · Post by **LaCroix** » 2011-07-25 11:34am

Simon_Jester wrote:Holy shit that's a lot of money. How did we get that? In any case, I will need to adjust plans to accomodate the budget. Maybe not today, I should be busy today.

Funny to see that both sides struggle with the same basic problem.

The budget.

The Murcans try to make it last in order to get a few projects funded, while the Zenobians have to come up with inventive ways to waste it.

OmegaChief · Post by **OmegaChief** » 2011-07-25 11:49am

We could fire a bunch more probes at the moon? We're already at 80% with the docking modual, I'm guessing we can't go much higher then 90-odd% with it so we're nearly out of docking launches.

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2011-07-25 12:15pm

We need, at most, one more docking test- and bear in mind I'm also using docking tests to help max out Voskhod reliability. We could also carry out docking tests with Lapot, which would help maximize Lapot reliability, and that is also something we want to do before flying lunar missions.

But there are plenty of other things that need doing- as you say, more moon probes, also the development of other hardware needed for the Moon shot: the N-1, the Kicker-B booster rocket, and the lunar lander.

I have no shortage of things to usefully spend the money on; it's just that I need time to sit down and plan out my expenditures for the coming year and (ooc) I simply don't have it today.

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

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

Plan Pavylyvych Fall 1967

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Re: Spring 1967 status

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

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

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

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

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