I have been reading Andrew Chaikin's "A Man on Moon," which was a basis of the Tom Hanks HBO Apollo miniseries. Anyways, in summer 1969, before the first moon landing, NASA and the Space Task Group (Chaired by VP Spiro Agnew) proposed future space missions for NASA. I think this timeline reflects what Roddenberry thought would happen in the Star Trek universe.
1969-: Apollo 11 to Apollo 20 1975: 12-man space station and reusable space shuttle 1976: Base in lunar orbit 1978: Moon base 1980: 50-man space station 1981: Mission to Mars 1985: 100-man space station
------------------ When you're in the Sol system, come visit the Starfleet Museum
Posted by Bernd (Member # 6) on :
This sounds all very optimistic, but it would have been realistic if the efforts of the 1960's had continued throughout the next two decades. Also, when I watched Space:1999 I was sure that there would be a moon base in 1999.
------------------ "Species 5618, human. Warp-capable, origin grid 325, physiology inefficient, below average cranium capacity, minimum redundant systems, limited regenerative abilities." Ex Astris Scientia
Posted by Masao (Member # 232) on :
In the months before the first moon landing, however, this schedule was probably not optomistic, only ambitiious. The US had gone from zero to a moon landing in about 10 years, so further advances were simply seen as goals that could be accomplished given the proper application of money, brains, and manpower. Of course, the level of spending necessary was impossible after the first moon landing (the public lost interest) and the Viet Nam war.
I assume that Roddenberry would have used the most ambitious projections of space flight to design the Star Trek universe. If so, there were probably bases on Mars and the moon before the Eugenics wars. The base on mars might even have been able to "ride out" that war and maybe even WWIII if it were a self-sustaining colony.
------------------ When you're in the Sol system, come visit the Starfleet Museum
[This message has been edited by Masao (edited May 15, 2000).]
Posted by The359 (Member # 37) on :
Sounds more like 2001: A Space Odyssey
------------------ "The things hollow--it goes on forever--and--oh my God!--it's full of stars!" -David Bowman's last transmission back to Earth, 2001: A Space Odyssey