Quote:
Originally Posted by fredtheobviouspseudonym
Unless I (very well could have) missed something the USSR is still in the game -- they've got Really Big Boosters (the Big Dumb Booster in aerospace terms) so could get stuff to Mars/Venus faster than USA in that time.
Of course, they might want adherence to the Glorious Worker's and Peasant's Republic in exchange for their help . . .
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No, the Soviets don't have anything in the Saturn's class in this time period. The N1 was not ready for prime time (4 test flights and 4 explosions) and smaller in payload than the Saturn V anyway.
Even allowing for them starting 6 years later than the Us did on Saturn it was probably never practical. Their design for a Moon lander was worse than the N1's notorious first stage.
The times when the USSR had superior access to space (never mind actually superior technology) have been more limited than people might think. Before Gemini and after Shuttle and a little bit when they flew a couple of Energiyas.
But in 1973 they aren't players.