A *better* Apollo 18 Plot Synopsys...

Instead of "Alien" set in the past and on the Moon rather than in the future
and in deep space, here's what Hollywood *could* have done with Apollo 18...


-o- RFK survives the assassination attempt in 1968, Humphrey bows out after
crushing primary defeats and RFK goes on to win the presidency.

-o- RFK immediately freezes Vietnam commitment.

-o- RFK talks to Neil and Buzz on the moon in '69 in a nationally televised
event full of emotion. With not wanting Vietnam to be the 'lasting' Kennedy
legacy, RFK pledges full support of his brother's legacy and announces plans
shortly thereafter for a continued lunar exploration program and restart of
Apollo production lines.

-o- Grumman wins contract for LEM Block 3 to include geological laboratory.

-o- Rover Block-X developed with some excavation capacity.

-o- "Stretch" Saturn V SI-"D" and SIII-"E" developed with extended tankage to
accommodate heavier block 3 LEM.

-o- Block 3 LEM capable of carrying supplies sufficient to extend Lunar stays
to 14 days.

-o- Huge row breaks out after Apollo 17 over relevancy of Apollo launches to
space science. With commitments to Apollo 24, NASA in a quandary.
Administrators want cautious missions with low risk to program, scientists
want polar exploration on the table. Eventually astronaut office sides with
the scientists, administrators forced to relent before word leaks to press.

-o- First Apollo mission to Lunar North Pole announced in late spring 1973.

-o- Apollo 20 tasked to go to Lunar North Pole in 1974. First mission to use
the new "stretch" Saturn, Block 3 LEM and Rover/excavator.

-o- Apollo 20 discovers ice on the moon; 3 decades before we actually think we
have.

-o- Mishap in LEM geological lab, some of the water vapor from the lunar ice
gets into cabin air.

-o- Ice dating / composition shows similarities to Earth from time around the
same as what we now know to be the Chicxulub event. But at the time great
debate breaks out over whether this water is terrestrial in nature, since
Pemex Corporate policy prevents the conclusions of its contractor Robert
Baltosser about Chicxulub from being publicly known at the time.

-o- Veteran Geologist/Astronaut Harrison Schmitt now on his 2nd lunar mission
(and the first astronaut ever to return to the moon) begins to run a temperature.

-o- Mission Commander Russell Schweikart does his best to care for Schmitt
whose condition continues to worsen. Soon Schwiekart discovers he is also
feeling off.

-o- 3 days after ice discovery and 7 days into the 14 day mission, Schmitt
dies of an undiagnosed illness. Schwiekart 'burys' his friend outside.
Whole mission has 'gone black' at this point. National attention is riveted.

-o- 11 days into 14 day mission and Schweikart, knowing he faces the same fate
sees the handwriting on the wall. Mission control publicly is insisting that
they are doing everything then can to rescue Schweikart, privately Deke
Slayton tells Schwiekart return is "his call".

-o- Block 3 LEM can orbit on its own. Schwiekart sends LM ascent module off
with ice samples stowed and air evacuated. Watches departure from a distance
with aid of the Rover.

-o- All contact with Schwiekart lost 1 hour after empty LM launch.

-o- Astronaut and CM pilot Vance Brand ordered under no circumstances to
rendezvous with ill-fated LM and ordered to return to earth.

-o- The disaster and NASA's initial cover-up then subsequent leaks spark
Congressional hearings.

-o- Congress charges NASA with "getting to the bottom" of the whole disaster.

-o- Apollo 21 re-tasked. First Saturn V ever launched with a 2 man crew and no
LEM.

-o- Aboard Apollo 21 the legendary Deke Slayton recently cleared for flight
and none other than his arch nemesis, Astronaut/Flight-Surgeon Dr. Fred Kelly.
NASA's most experienced flight surgeon who was placed aboard only after the
intercession of the VP and NASA administrator that if Slayton wanted this one
for Rusty, he'd have to "play ball".

-o- Apollo 21 mission? Rendezvous with orbiting LM and retrieve the samples
for analysis.

And that of course is the sequel movie...

;-)

Dave

I like that plot - well done! You should tout it to Hollywood, perhaps
the Howard / Hanks team could use it. They have a lot of the set props
already made.

On 8/03/2011 05:16, David Spain wrote:
Instead of "Alien" set in the past and on the Moon rather than in the
future and in deep space, here's what Hollywood *could* have done with
Apollo 18...


-o- RFK survives the assassination attempt in 1968, Humphrey bows out
after crushing primary defeats and RFK goes on to win the presidency.

-o- RFK immediately freezes Vietnam commitment.

-o- RFK talks to Neil and Buzz on the moon in '69 in a nationally
televised event full of emotion. With not wanting Vietnam to be the
'lasting' Kennedy legacy, RFK pledges full support of his brother's
legacy and announces plans shortly thereafter for a continued lunar
exploration program and restart of Apollo production lines.

-o- Grumman wins contract for LEM Block 3 to include geological laboratory.

-o- Rover Block-X developed with some excavation capacity.

-o- "Stretch" Saturn V SI-"D" and SIII-"E" developed with extended
tankage to accommodate heavier block 3 LEM.

-o- Block 3 LEM capable of carrying supplies sufficient to extend Lunar
stays to 14 days.

-o- Huge row breaks out after Apollo 17 over relevancy of Apollo
launches to space science. With commitments to Apollo 24, NASA in a
quandary. Administrators want cautious missions with low risk to
program, scientists want polar exploration on the table. Eventually
astronaut office sides with the scientists, administrators forced to
relent before word leaks to press.

-o- First Apollo mission to Lunar North Pole announced in late spring 1973.

-o- Apollo 20 tasked to go to Lunar North Pole in 1974. First mission to
use
the new "stretch" Saturn, Block 3 LEM and Rover/excavator.

-o- Apollo 20 discovers ice on the moon; 3 decades before we actually
think we have.

-o- Mishap in LEM geological lab, some of the water vapor from the lunar
ice gets into cabin air.

-o- Ice dating / composition shows similarities to Earth from time
around the same as what we now know to be the Chicxulub event. But at
the time great debate breaks out over whether this water is terrestrial
in nature, since Pemex Corporate policy prevents the conclusions of its
contractor Robert Baltosser about Chicxulub from being publicly known at
the time.

-o- Veteran Geologist/Astronaut Harrison Schmitt now on his 2nd lunar
mission (and the first astronaut ever to return to the moon) begins to
run a temperature.

-o- Mission Commander Russell Schweikart does his best to care for
Schmitt whose condition continues to worsen. Soon Schwiekart discovers
he is also feeling off.

-o- 3 days after ice discovery and 7 days into the 14 day mission, Schmitt
dies of an undiagnosed illness. Schwiekart 'burys' his friend outside.
Whole mission has 'gone black' at this point. National attention is
riveted.

-o- 11 days into 14 day mission and Schweikart, knowing he faces the
same fate sees the handwriting on the wall. Mission control publicly is
insisting that they are doing everything then can to rescue Schweikart,
privately Deke Slayton tells Schwiekart return is "his call".

-o- Block 3 LEM can orbit on its own. Schwiekart sends LM ascent module
off with ice samples stowed and air evacuated. Watches departure from a
distance with aid of the Rover.

-o- All contact with Schwiekart lost 1 hour after empty LM launch.

-o- Astronaut and CM pilot Vance Brand ordered under no circumstances to
rendezvous with ill-fated LM and ordered to return to earth.

-o- The disaster and NASA's initial cover-up then subsequent leaks spark
Congressional hearings.

-o- Congress charges NASA with "getting to the bottom" of the whole
disaster.

-o- Apollo 21 re-tasked. First Saturn V ever launched with a 2 man crew
and no LEM.

-o- Aboard Apollo 21 the legendary Deke Slayton recently cleared for
flight and none other than his arch nemesis, Astronaut/Flight-Surgeon
Dr. Fred Kelly.
NASA's most experienced flight surgeon who was placed aboard only after
the intercession of the VP and NASA administrator that if Slayton wanted
this one for Rusty, he'd have to "play ball".

-o- Apollo 21 mission? Rendezvous with orbiting LM and retrieve the
samples for analysis.

And that of course is the sequel movie...

;-)

Dave

Pat Flannery wrote:
On 3/7/2011 10:16 AM, David Spain wrote:

-o- Apollo 20 discovers ice on the moon; 3 decades before we actually
think we have.

Here's my modification:
-0- Apollo 20 LM attempts to land in sunless polar crater and comes down
on boulder it can't see...destroying it. The crew are eaten by a strange
alien lifeform named Lady Gaga.

We she does hatch from an egg. We know this now.

The CSM, with me as the sole surviving astronaut, returns to Earth.

That's why I proposed the necessity of the "stretch" Saturn V. ;-)

Jessica Simpson spends night with me, declares me "The Love God" she has
always dreamed of; but I break her heart and marry Britney Spears
instead. Later, Lindsay Lohan tries to steal my heart.
Did I mention this movie is going to be a musical and that I will be
played by Justin Timberlake? ;-)

I thought in this version; you'd break the ice using the Fire Maidens...

;-)

Dave

Pat Flannery wrote:
On 3/7/2011 1:10 PM, Obviousman wrote:
I like that plot - well done! You should tout it to Hollywood, perhaps
the Howard / Hanks team could use it. They have a lot of the set props
already made.

I think it would be a lot more likely that RFK would have devoted the
funds freed up by leaving Vietnam for social programs rather than
further Apollo missions.

Pat

I dunno, IIRC my local paper was running Apollo 11 stories and the
Mary Jo Kopechne story on the same front page. If I was RFK and I
was president I'd be doing *something* to keep the public imagination
away from my family....

Maybe I'd send Ted along with Deke and Dr. Kelly. After all we need
to find out if the contents of the LM *are* still virulent.

;-)

Dave

On 3/7/2011 10:16 AM, David Spain wrote:

-o- Apollo 20 discovers ice on the moon; 3 decades before we actually
think we have.

Here's my modification:
-0- Apollo 20 LM attempts to land in sunless polar crater and comes down
on boulder it can't see...destroying it. The crew are eaten by a strange
alien lifeform named Lady Gaga.
The CSM, with me as the sole surviving astronaut, returns to Earth.
Jessica Simpson spends night with me, declares me "The Love God" she has
always dreamed of; but I break her heart and marry Britney Spears
instead. Later, Lindsay Lohan tries to steal my heart.
Did I mention this movie is going to be a musical and that I will be
played by Justin Timberlake? ;-)

Pat

On 3/7/2011 1:10 PM, Obviousman wrote:
I like that plot - well done! You should tout it to Hollywood, perhaps
the Howard / Hanks team could use it. They have a lot of the set props
already made.

I think it would be a lot more likely that RFK would have devoted the
funds freed up by leaving Vietnam for social programs rather than
further Apollo missions.

Pat

I see two problems - later extended stays were being planned with two saturn
launches. One carries the CSM and LM Taxi (The crewed version of LM). The
other carries two LM Apollo Applications varients - one brings the habitat
for extended stay in place of the ascent stage- the other brings a
pressurized lunar rover in place of the ascent stage. - No streched Saturn -
just two launches.

The LM Ascent stage in orbit would be a fairly unstable situation give the
pertibations from Earth gravitational attraction and the Lunar Mascons.
Ascent stage may not have stayed in orbit long enough for future rendezvous.

Val Kraut

Val Kraut wrote:
I see two problems - later extended stays were being planned with two saturn
launches. One carries the CSM and LM Taxi (The crewed version of LM). The
other carries two LM Apollo Applications varients - one brings the habitat
for extended stay in place of the ascent stage- the other brings a
pressurized lunar rover in place of the ascent stage. - No streched Saturn -
just two launches.


Well that'd work just fine for story development. The actual hardware is more
of an anecdote to the story line. And the more historically accurate the better.

The LM Ascent stage in orbit would be a fairly unstable situation give the
pertibations from Earth gravitational attraction and the Lunar Mascons.
Ascent stage may not have stayed in orbit long enough for future rendezvous.


Yes I agree. I would have worked this into the story line as providing a sense
of urgency to the Apollo 21 re-task. But only if it could have stayed in orbit
long enough, say 2 years? It'd take Congress at least 3 mos to get off the
dime with hearings and at least another 6mos to a year to sortie a re-tasked
mission. Of course given a "Block 3" LEM I could work all sorts of neat plot
gimmicks. Like plenty of maneuvering fuel left over because it was launched
w/o a crew and full remote control from the ground to allow Houston to fire
thrusters to help keep it in orbit longer than otherwise would be the case.

The one flaw I thought would be glaring and kill the whole idea is the
inability of LEM/CSM to reach high enough angle orbits to actually carry off a
lunar polar landing mission. Was this ever really seriously considered?

Dave

On 03/07/2011 04:13 PM, David Spain wrote:
Pat Flannery wrote:
On 3/7/2011 1:10 PM, Obviousman wrote:
I like that plot - well done! You should tout it to Hollywood, perhaps
the Howard / Hanks team could use it. They have a lot of the set props
already made.

I think it would be a lot more likely that RFK would have devoted the
funds freed up by leaving Vietnam for social programs rather than
further Apollo missions.

Pat

I dunno, IIRC my local paper was running Apollo 11 stories and the
Mary Jo Kopechne story on the same front page. If I was RFK and I
was president I'd be doing *something* to keep the public imagination
away from my family....

Maybe I'd send Ted along with Deke and Dr. Kelly. After all we need
to find out if the contents of the LM *are* still virulent.

Sorry, gotta agree with Pat on this one. Out of all the Kennedy
brothers, only JFK had much enthusiasm for Apollo, and even he was
having second thoughts by the time of his assassination. It was LBJ who
really drove the program after JFK's death, and even he dramatically cut
the program back before leaving office (terminating Saturn V production
in mid-1968, before the next president could have had any influence).
RFK was lukewarm to the program and definitely considered social
spending higher priority; Apollo/Saturn would have been unlikely to have
fared much better under him than it did under Nixon.

But apart from that, your script sounds better than whatever "Apollo 18"
turns out to be. (well, that and Rusty getting a lunar flight... highly
doubt Slayton would have gone for that).

Jorge R. Frank wrote:
But apart from that, your script sounds better than whatever "Apollo 18"
turns out to be. (well, that and Rusty getting a lunar flight... highly
doubt Slayton would have gone for that).

From what I've read about Slayton vs Kelly, it's doubtful Apollo 21 would
have returned with two crew even if it HADN'T successfully docked with the
abandoned LM.

:-D

Dave

PS: In this alternate history original Apollo 21 mission patch before re-task
contained Ace & Jack of Spades. CSM codename was Blackjack. Because of the
urgency and rush of the mission re-task no one bothered to actually change it....

Hey it's MY story... Artistic license, blah blah blah... :-D