January 1st, 1951

A group of engineers walk into a large garage shaped building. There’s equipment for welding, lifting heavy objects, and for drawing sketches and blueprints. They were given the go ahead to start their work. They work towards making the newly built Ogorodnikova Space Center ready for operation.

February 4th, 1951 | February 15th, 1951

One month of pure development works out perfectly. With some arm twisting for enough money to borrow a few engines, and the parts to make the rest, the first two Aero rockets are made. The first one is launched on February 4th, and the second is launched on February 15th, both scraping the 150 kilometer mark. They reached space, and then some. But they were too small to serve any other purpose, so new plans are drawn up.

March 22nd, 1951 | April 14th, 1951

More arm twisting got the OSC a neat little present: Larger engines, which can lift more than a baseball sized piece of avionics into space. The Agency is given the technology used in it’s A-1 ICBM, and it’s launched- without a warhead, of course. It turns out a month of begging got the Agency permission to use it, but they have to make their own payload. And they do. On March 22nd, the first object to return in one piece is recovered: The nose cone shaped payload of the rocket, landing softly on solid ground with parachutes. A bit under a month later on April 14th, another recovery payload is launched. This time, it’s goal is to land in the ocean, and test the capabilities of a splashdown. The landing is successful once more, and it’s pulled out of the ocean.

May 7th, 1951

Another non-nuclear A-1 is launched, with the payload slightly different this time. It contains several scientific instruments, and the payload is shaped differently this time. The nose cone is map sharper and taller, to determine if it can help with launch and reentry. It launches and splashes down with yet another success.

May 29th, 1951

Pilot Barry Thompson is strapped into a modified bomber cockpit, fitted into a G-suit. The planned flight will be an intense climb to 500 m/s over land, followed by separation of the vehicle and cockpit with short but strong rocket motors. Meanwhile, long burning rocket motors will burn for about 8 seconds in a “glide” phase, where the cockpit maintains the same speed while the booster slows down due to drag. Hundreds of simulation hours ran down this exact flight plan, and on the launch day it goes perfectly. A flawless boost to over mach 1, followed by a glide phase to 32 kilometers in altitude. He lands safely, and celebrates.