I have always been interested in alternate histories that dramatically affect the course, duration, or intensity of 20th century spacefaring. One of the issues that has precluded large-scale habitation, industrialization, and militarization of outer space is the lack of motivational vision. But perhaps if a dramatic event from space had occurred in just the right window of the previous century, we would have had lunar bases by now?
With that in mind...How would the space programs of the Cold War have changed if Roswell, NM sustained a significant meteorite impact in the year 1947? I suspect that the field of asteroid defense could become a proxy battleground of it's own between technicians on opposite sides of the Iron Curtain.
How would the average citizens of the First, Second, and Third World nations be affected by man's raising a fist in defense against space?
Clarification: Let's make it just big enough to make it possible for the USAF to successfully lobby for space defense programs. Butterflies should spread outward to things like if Truman gets re-elected, but nothing severe enough to reduce the US to a post-apocalyptic state.
Additional clarification: At the time of this incident, the largest base of the SAC was located here.
