I've been doing a rough draft of an 'alternative history'
novel over the past 6 months that deals with alternative events occurring between the years 1938-1976, with emphasis on space travel.
What will interest you Aussiesm, and any Brits on HZ, is that the
'alternative history' in my rough draft involves a space-race, and a cyber one, between not only America and the Soviet Union, but with an
Anglo-Australian space effort thrown in as well.

I've been carrying out research to make realistic, and lo and behold,
when I looked up rocket research from Australia in the 1950's,
they had a rocket called Long Tom [42,000 Ibs thrust] able
to reach an altitude of 75 miles.
In my novel, I have a fictional Aussie aerospace agency develop a liquid-fueled booster of about 24,000Ibs thrust.