I was watching a documentary on Van Braun the other day and how instrumental he was to the USA space programme and the Ruskies also had help from captured Nazis scientists.
If they’d both done the “right” thing and not excused their transgressions for scientific and technology gain,how much would this have affected their space programmes
Cymek said:
I was watching a documentary on Van Braun the other day and how instrumental he was to the USA space programme and the Ruskies also had help from captured Nazis scientists.If they’d both done the “right” thing and not excused their transgressions for scientific and technology gain,how much would this have affected their space programmes
If they refused to use former Nazi personnel but had access to the V2 rockets and documentation, then they could probably have worked most of the developments out in a few years.
Should have been able to do most of it on their own, just a question of perceived need to attract the right level of government funding. It may have given them a head-start to have the Germans on their team, but it is not like they alone could only do it. Other nations have developed their own independent programs.
just like the Nazis didn’t really need Indiana Jones…
anyone can do it, not like it rocket science or anything…
Is this a self-Godwinning thread?
On the other hand, if they really had no access to any information on the V2 program or any components etc, such that the fruits of the program were completely lost to the world somehow, then it would be something like a 20 year setback. The advances made within a few years by hundreds of German scientists were quite revolutionary. These were the first truely guided rockets, with automated timing and pitch control, onboard analog computers and radio control.
dv said:
On the other hand, if they really had no access to any information on the V2 program or any components etc, such that the fruits of the program were completely lost to the world somehow, then it would be something like a 20 year setback. The advances made within a few years by hundreds of German scientists were quite revolutionary. These were the first truely guided rockets, with automated timing and pitch control, onboard analog computers and radio control.
The information was hidden in a mine shaft as a bargaining chip so it could have been lost
Michael V said:
Is this a self-Godwinning thread?
It’s not meant to be
dv said:
On the other hand, if they really had no access to any information on the V2 program or any components etc, such that the fruits of the program were completely lost to the world somehow, then it would be something like a 20 year setback. The advances made within a few years by hundreds of German scientists were quite revolutionary. These were the first truely guided rockets, with automated timing and pitch control, onboard analog computers and radio control.
I reckon it would be just a matter of chucking enough resources at it. If it was deemed as urgent as the Manhattan Project it could be done far shorter than 20 years.
party_pants said:
dv said:
On the other hand, if they really had no access to any information on the V2 program or any components etc, such that the fruits of the program were completely lost to the world somehow, then it would be something like a 20 year setback. The advances made within a few years by hundreds of German scientists were quite revolutionary. These were the first truely guided rockets, with automated timing and pitch control, onboard analog computers and radio control.
I reckon it would be just a matter of chucking enough resources at it. If it was deemed as urgent as the Manhattan Project it could be done far shorter than 20 years.
also removing all those pesky ethics rules helps
party_pants said:
dv said:
On the other hand, if they really had no access to any information on the V2 program or any components etc, such that the fruits of the program were completely lost to the world somehow, then it would be something like a 20 year setback. The advances made within a few years by hundreds of German scientists were quite revolutionary. These were the first truely guided rockets, with automated timing and pitch control, onboard analog computers and radio control.
I reckon it would be just a matter of chucking enough resources at it. If it was deemed as urgent as the Manhattan Project it could be done far shorter than 20 years.
Sure.
dv said:
party_pants said:
dv said:
On the other hand, if they really had no access to any information on the V2 program or any components etc, such that the fruits of the program were completely lost to the world somehow, then it would be something like a 20 year setback. The advances made within a few years by hundreds of German scientists were quite revolutionary. These were the first truely guided rockets, with automated timing and pitch control, onboard analog computers and radio control.
I reckon it would be just a matter of chucking enough resources at it. If it was deemed as urgent as the Manhattan Project it could be done far shorter than 20 years.
Sure.
FWIW when von Braun was settled into the US, they really didn’t have him and his team doing much engineering from 1945 to the late 50’s. The US could have easily beaten the Soviets into orbit, if only they’d given him resources to do so. Then they spent the best part of a decade catching-up.
Cymek said:
I was watching a documentary on Van Braun the other day and how instrumental he was to the USA space programme and the Ruskies also had help from captured Nazis scientists.If they’d both done the “right” thing and not excused their transgressions for scientific and technology gain,how much would this have affected their space programmes
The Americans first started their rocket program without help from Von Braun and team, they were in prison. It was not going well. Chances are that without the Nazi mechanical and human input the only American space program would have been what they could steal from the Russians.
The USSR on the other hand had minimal help from the Nazis and had a rocket program that dated back earlier than the Nazis. It would be fair to say that the Nazis got their technology from the Russians rather than the other way around.