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Searching for details: The author of this page will appreciate comments, corrections and imagery related to the subject. Please contact Anatoly Zak. Related pages:
Lunar
program guide:
N1
Acknowledgement: The author would like to thank Dmitry Vorontsov for additions. � � � � |
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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
First launch of the N1 rocket on Feb. 21, 1969.
The second launch of the N1 rocket on July 3, 1969.
Years after the demise of the Soviet lunar program, shrouds, tanks and other pieces of the giant N-1 rockets remain scattered around Baikonur, serving as storage, gazebos and playgrounds. Copyright � 2000 Anatoly Zak � � � � � |
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N1 MOON ROCKET |
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Previous chapter: Soviet lunar exploration program
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 proposed as a multipurpose vehicle for a variety of military and scientific tasks, the N1 evolved into a project with a single mission -- to beat America to the Moon. However, the N1's catastrophic failures during four test launches in 1969-1972 doomed the Soviet effort to land a man on the Moon and left the ill-fated rocket under a veil of secrecy for decades. N1-L3 system overview:
(111) � Overview of the N1 family:
*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):
� Test launches of the N1 rocket: 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. July 3, 1969: The second test launch of the N1 rocket (Vehicle No. 5L) carrying a 7K-L1A (7K-L1S) spacecraft failed at liftoff. June 27, 1971: The third launch of the N1 rocket (Vehicle No. 6L) failed at 50.1 seconds after liftoff from the left pad of the Site 110 in Baikonur. 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. �
� Writing and photography by Anatoly Zak Last update: July 3, 2014 All rights reserved � � � � |
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