@BorealBaron: Wernher von Braun's vision of ...

Wernher von Braun's vision of World War III: An atomic blitzkrieg unleashed from a space station that destroys the Eastern Bloc's manufacturing centers and leaves the "Asiatic mass" in ruins.

From his science fiction novel 'Project Mars: A Technical Tale.’

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His plan to reach Mars: sending an armada of spaceships that would make the journey in 8 months. They would total 10 giant spaceships, each of which would weigh about 4,000 tonnes and would be assembled in orbit. 950 three-stage rockets will get everything into orbit.

Then use huge winged gliders to aerobrake into the atmosphere and land safely on Mars. This can't be done: the atmosphere on Mars is 1% as thick as Earth’s. A powered landing using modern rockets would be necessary. 

The explorers would spend 400 days investigating there.

"The Martian government was directed by ten men, the leader of whom was elected by universal suffrage for five years and entitled 'Elon.' Two houses of Parliament enacted the laws to be administered by the Elon and his cabinet."

Just a coincidence.