Soviet Moon Race

N-1 Launch Vehicle

The Soviet Government Decree of June 23, 1960 "On the Development of Powerful Launch vehicles, Satellites, Spacecraft, and Space Exploration in 1960-1967" was enacted to develop the N1 heavy launch vehicle.

The N1 design was to lift a payload of 75 t mass. It was to use liquid-propellant engines working on oxygen-kerosene on all stages. The launch mass of the N1 with its payload was 2200 t. Burning of liquid hydrogen in the capacity of propellant allowed the increase of the payload to 95 tonnes, permitting the launch of the L3 spacecraft to the moon.

Work on the N1 was carried out under direct management of S. P. Korolev , head of the Board of Chief Designers. After his death in 1966, his first deputy, V. P. Mishin , assumed responsibility for work on N1-L3. On August 3, 1964 , the Government Decree stated for the first time that the most important challenge to be met in space exploration was the use of the N1 to explore the Moon including an expedition landing to its surface and its subsequent return to the Earth.

The rocket complex including the N1 and lunar system L3, intended for landing to the lunar surface and returning a crew of 2 cosmonauts to the Earth (with one crew member landing to the lunar surface), was designated as N1-L3.

Launch vehicle N1 was made up of three stages (A, B, V) connected with transfer compartments of a truss type and a core stage. A structural arrangement included a shell receiving external loads and accommodating fuel tanks (with an oxidizer tank in the front part), engines, and other systems in its interior.
The rocket was a package design with suspended, single-unit, spherical fuel tanks and multi-engine propulsion units on stages I, II, and III.

 

 

The complete N-1, including all five stages, the lunar module, modified Soyuz with trans-Earth boost stage, and launch escape system stood 370 ft. (111m) tall.
Its full propellant launch weight was in excessive of 2700 kg.

The N-1 experienced four launch failures due to an inadequate testing regime of the first stage NK-33 engines. These engines are still the most efficient LOX-kerosene fuelled engines developed. NASA technicians inspected these engines in 2004, since Russia were marketing them to the international launch vehicle market, and were impressed by their specifications and performance. The Soviet's hindrance was the difficulty of applying the technological skill that would control thirty of these engines at launch.

N-1 Stages

1st stage 30 NK-33 LOX/kerosene engines; 10.1 million lb. total thrust.

2 nd stage 8 NK-43 LOX/kerosene engines; 3.1 million lb. total thrust.

3rd stage 4 NK-39 engines; 360,800 lb. total thrust.

4th stage 1 NK-31 engine; 90,200 lb. thrust; trans-lunar boost stage.

5th stage 1 engine; 19,200 lb. thrust; lunar orbit insertion & initial lunar descent stage.