As said in the title...
Zond primary reason to exist was to try and steal some of Apollo thunder with a clever trick.
basically: getting the first men NEAR the Moon (not on the surface) with a clear date in mind: November 6, 1967.
Why that date ? Because 1917 revolution + 50 years.
Now what's happening with Apollo ?
According to Kennedy mandate, NASA objective is the surface.
Before George Low stroke of genius in August 1968, this exactly meant
"Lunar Module not ready = no cislunar flights.
"No point in risking crew lives without a lander to test or... LAND."
As such, when on September 20, 1967 the Apollo "alphabet of missions" list was disclosed...
C-mission: Apollo in Earth orbit
D-mission: First piloted LM in Earth orbit (= Apollo 9)
E-mission: Second piloted LM... higher
(not clearly defined: high Earth orbit, lunar flyby, lunar orbit... ?)
F-class mission:Third piloted LM, stop 10 miles short. (= Apollo 10)
G-class mission: FIRST LANDING (= Apollo 11)
This meant that the earliest a crew could go to the Moon was the E-class mission, with the second piloted LM.
George Low strike of genius was to say "screw the LM and (temporarily) screw JFK mandate; let's go to the Moon early without a LM.
C-mission: Apollo in Earth orbit
C-prime-mission: (= Apollo 8)
D-mission: First piloted LM in Earth orbit (= Apollo 9)
------------
F-class mission: Third piloted LM, stop 10 miles short. (= Apollo 10)
G-class mission: FIRST LANDING (= Apollo 11)
Now it is possible to speculate to a timeline where Grumman doesn't screw up and by some miracle get the LM ready in time, that is - summer 1968 instead of spring 1969.
Soooo...
C-mission: Apollo 7, October 1968, doesn't move.
D-mission: Apollo 9, December 1968
E-mission: Second LM test - March 1969 (= in place of Apollo 9 as we knew it)
F-class mission: Apollo 10, doesn't move
G-class mission: Apollo 11, doesn't move.
So where does all this going in the end ?
First men NEAR the Moon
Zond 6, November 6, 1967
Apollo E, March 1969
Ouch. Now the Soviets can claim they send the first men "around the Moon" 18 months before NASA, and repeated that feat a couple or trio of times all over 1968.
While NASA answer is "this CHEAT, we went to the SURFACE" - you never know what public opinion thinks...
Zond primary reason to exist was to try and steal some of Apollo thunder with a clever trick.
basically: getting the first men NEAR the Moon (not on the surface) with a clear date in mind: November 6, 1967.
Why that date ? Because 1917 revolution + 50 years.
Now what's happening with Apollo ?
According to Kennedy mandate, NASA objective is the surface.
Before George Low stroke of genius in August 1968, this exactly meant
"Lunar Module not ready = no cislunar flights.
"No point in risking crew lives without a lander to test or... LAND."
As such, when on September 20, 1967 the Apollo "alphabet of missions" list was disclosed...
C-mission: Apollo in Earth orbit
D-mission: First piloted LM in Earth orbit (= Apollo 9)
E-mission: Second piloted LM... higher
(not clearly defined: high Earth orbit, lunar flyby, lunar orbit... ?)
F-class mission:Third piloted LM, stop 10 miles short. (= Apollo 10)
G-class mission: FIRST LANDING (= Apollo 11)
This meant that the earliest a crew could go to the Moon was the E-class mission, with the second piloted LM.
George Low strike of genius was to say "screw the LM and (temporarily) screw JFK mandate; let's go to the Moon early without a LM.
C-mission: Apollo in Earth orbit
C-prime-mission: (= Apollo 8)
D-mission: First piloted LM in Earth orbit (= Apollo 9)
------------
F-class mission: Third piloted LM, stop 10 miles short. (= Apollo 10)
G-class mission: FIRST LANDING (= Apollo 11)
Now it is possible to speculate to a timeline where Grumman doesn't screw up and by some miracle get the LM ready in time, that is - summer 1968 instead of spring 1969.
Soooo...
C-mission: Apollo 7, October 1968, doesn't move.
D-mission: Apollo 9, December 1968
E-mission: Second LM test - March 1969 (= in place of Apollo 9 as we knew it)
F-class mission: Apollo 10, doesn't move
G-class mission: Apollo 11, doesn't move.
So where does all this going in the end ?
First men NEAR the Moon
Zond 6, November 6, 1967
Apollo E, March 1969
Ouch. Now the Soviets can claim they send the first men "around the Moon" 18 months before NASA, and repeated that feat a couple or trio of times all over 1968.
While NASA answer is "this CHEAT, we went to the SURFACE" - you never know what public opinion thinks...
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