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1967




6l

N1 No. 6L


7l

N1 No. 7L


8L

N1 No. 8L





L3M


LKM


D2





cancellatioj


 

 

 

 

The N1 Moon rocket

At the end of the 1950s, the OKB-1 design bureau led by Sergei Korolev began development of a super-heavy rocket booster, later designated N1. Originally, it was proposed as a multipurpose vehicle for a variety of military and scientific tasks, including launches of space stations, expeditions to the Moon and even a potential human missions to Mars. In its early incarnation, the giant rocket was expected to deliver 75 tons of payload to the low Earth orbit.


N1/L3 system overview (111):

Total length
105 meters
Maximum diameter
17 meters
Liftoff mass
2,783-2,825 tons
Dry mass
277-281 tons
Total mass of liquid oxygen oxidizer (three stages - Block A, B and V)
1,780 tons
Total mass of kerosene fuel (three stages - Block A, B and V combined)
680 tons
Liftoff thrust
4,500 tons
Payload mass to low Earth orbit, LEO
95 tons

The N1 project was ultimately approved by the Kremlin for a single mission -- to beat America to the Moon. To accomplish this task, the rocket's design was upgraded to carry a payload of 95 tons, while still on the drawing board, which was considered to be enough for the L3 expeditionary complex with a crew of two and only one cosmonaut landing on the Moon. Subsequently, the rocket was expected to be upgraded with hydrogen upper stages (INSIDER CONTENT), so it could support two-launch expedition scenario developed for the L3M expeditionary complex delivering three cosmonauts to the Moon.

Many other upgrades of the N1 rocket were considered over the years for such projects as the 5M Mars sample return and the Zevs mission to Jupiter. (INSIDER CONTENT)

However, the N1's catastrophic failures during four test launches on Feb. 21 and July 3, 1969, June 27, 1971, and Nov. 23, 1972, doomed the Soviet effort to land a man on the Moon and left the ill-fated rocket under a veil of secrecy for almost two decades. The nearly completed fifth flight vehicle (N1 No. 8L) (INSIDER CONTENT) was expected to fly at the end of 1974, but the entire Soviet lunar program was cancelled in May of that year.

Test launches of the N1 rocket

First launch

Feb. 21, 1969: The first test launch of the N1 rocket (Vehicle No. 3L) carrying a 7K-L1A (7K-L1S) spacecraft failed 68.7 seconds after liftoff from Site 110 in Tyuratam.

Launch


Second launch

July 3, 1969: The second test launch of the N1 rocket (Vehicle No. 5L) carrying a 7K-L1A (7K-L1S) spacecraft failed at liftoff from Site 110 in Tyuratam.

SAS


Third launch

June 27, 1971: The third launch of the N1 rocket (Vehicle No. 6L) carrying dummy LOK and LK spacecraft failed at 50.1 seconds after liftoff from the left pad at Site 110 in Tyuratam.

launch


Fourth launch

Nov. 23, 1972: The fourth launch of the N1 rocket (Vehicle No. 7L) carrying an operational LOK spacecraft and a mockup of the LK lunar module failed about 107 seconds after liftoff from Site 110 in Tyuratam.

Liftoff


 

Overview of proposed upgrades to the N1 family:

Version
Payload, t
Launch mass, t
Dry mass, t
Engine thrust*
Length, m
N1
82
2,825
281
4,500
105
N11
20-24
700-770
-
-
-
N11GR
9
1,012
67
-
-
N111
5
200
-
-
-
N1U
95
2,750
260
4,500
105
N1UV-III
115
2,900
285
4,500
120
N1F
100
2,950
280
5,250
110
N1FV-III
125
3,000
300
5,250
125
N1MV-II-III
150
3,250
355
5,250
145
N1M (Mod. 1)
155
4,950
470
7,500
135
N1M (Mod. 2)
175
5,300
505
7,500
140
N1MV-III (Mod. 1)
185
4,950
490
7,500
145
N1MV-III (Mod. 2)
205
5,350
520
7,500
150
N1MV-II, -III
230
5,200
530
7,500
165

*Total first stage engine thrust

(84)


 

Major contractors in the N1 poject:

Even at its early stage, a wide array of the Soviet institutions had to be involved in such a complex project as was the N1 (52):

Development area Organization Leading Designer
Propulsion (Initial studies)
OKB-456
V. Glushko
Propulsion (Stage I, II and III)
OKB-276
N. Kuznetsov
RD-57 engine for a follow-on Block S upper stage
OKB-165
A. M. Lylka
RD-56 engine for a follow-on Block R and Sr upper stages
KB Khimmash
A. Isaev
Flight control system
NII-885
N. A. Pilyugin
Flight control system
NII-944
V. I. Kuznetsov
Launch infrastructure
GSKB Spetsmash
V. P. Barmin
Ground control infrastructure
NII-4
A. I. Sokolov
Propellant supply and tank purging systems
OKB-12
A. S. Abramov
Aerodynamics
NII-88
Yu. A. Mozhorin
Aerodynamics
TsAGI
V. M. Myasishev
Aerodynamics
NII-1
V. Ya. Likhushin
Manufacturing process
Paton institute
B. E. Paton
Manufacturing process
NITI-40
Ya. V. Kolupaev
Manufacturing process
Progress Plant
A. Ya. Linkov
Propulsion system testing and development
NII-229
G. M. Tabakov
N1/L3 payload fairing
ZIKh
-

 

 

Writing and photography by Anatoly Zak

Last update: July 1, 2024

All rights reserved

 

 

 

 

insider content

 

A scale model of the N1 rocket and its launch pad. Copyright © 2002 Anatoly Zak


The NK engine, which powered the first stage of the N1 rocket. Copyright © 2000 Anatoly Zak


Test station No. 2 (IS-2) at NIIKhimmash research facility near Sergiev Posad, formerly Zagorsk, was used for test firings of the engines for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stages of the N1-L3 complex. Credit: NIIKhimmash


Flight

First launch of the N1 rocket on Feb. 21, 1969.


launch

The second launch of the N1 rocket on July 3, 1969.


launch

The third launch of the N1 rocket on June 27, 1971


remnants

Years after the demise of the Soviet lunar program, shrouds, tanks and other pieces of the giant N1 rockets remain scattered around Baikonur, serving as storage, gazebos and playgrounds. Click to enlarge. Copyright © 2000 Anatoly Zak