Soviet inhabited lunar program

This article treats only preparations of the the USSR to send a cosmonaut on lunar surface and, possibly, to establish a base there. For Soviet automatic exploration, to see Program Luna.

The purpose of the Soviet lunar program inhabited was to send a cosmonaut on the the Moon, preferably before the two American astronauts of the Programme Apollo to beat them in the race with the space which was launched since 1955.

History

Studies of the Soviet heavy launchers

Ionic engine and nuclear reactor (1957-1959)

On the request for Sergueï Korolev, director of the research department OKB -1 of the Institute of R & D 88 (ОКБ-1НИИ-88), section 12 directed by M.V. Melnikov begins in 1957 from the studies on a ionic Moteur. It is hoped that at the horizon 1959, it could propel the vessel inhabited TMK-E towards Mars (which nevertheless would have required: 36000 m ² of solar panels!). Also, Konstantin Feoktistov proposes the use of a Nuclear reactor to feed the ionic Moteur. Besides June 30th 1958, the Central committee of the Communist party of the Soviet Union entrusts by decree the responsibility to two different research departments (OKB -456 of Valentine Glouchko and OKB -670 of Mikhaïl Bondaryuk) to conceive rocket engines propelled by a Nuclear reactor, always for a live mission towards Mars which would last of June 8th 1971 at July 10th 1974. With this intention, it is thought that N1 would be adapted perfectly. December 31st 1959, this dream imposing disappears with the decision of Korolev to give up the studies on rockets propelled by nuclear energy.

The long way of N1

The outlines of future N1 begins in 1959 under the direction from Korolev within OKB -1. In December 1959, the military authorities bring together the three general engineers Korolev, its rival Vladimir Chelomei of OKB -52 and Mikhail Yangel of OKB -586 in order to take stock of the advance of their studies. Korolev proposes the family of launchers NR as well as versions improved of the Semiorka, Chelomei an evolutionary family based on one 1st common stage (which will give rise to projects UR-500 Proton and UR-700) and Yangel the ballistic missiles R-26 and R-36 plus launcher SK-100. At the conclusion Chelomei and Yangel are authorized to develop ballistic missiles, respectively the light UR-100 and heavy R-36. Korolev receives funds to develop the launcher Molniya (8K78), an adaptation of the Semiorka, but nothing for N1, which one does not perceive the utility yet.

The sky is cleared

Finally, a decree of January 1960 authorizes the studies on N1 and Korolev expresses in the Pravda Opporunity of a direct exploration of the Moon, first of all by the allunissage of automatic scientific probes… and later by researcher sending and the construction of a scientific station inhabited on the Moon. In a letter of April 7th 1960, Korolev request the creation of a die of production of Hydrogen liquid as the the United States do it, then in May 1960, the development of a family of heavy launchers. Only the last request will be accepted by a decree of June 1960. Of 1960 with 1963 would be carried out the heavy launcher N1 of a capacity of 40-50 tons in terrestrial low orbit (LEO) and of 12-20 tons in orbit of escape for one 1st flight in 1965. This date is fixed in May 1961 by a decree which orders in Chelomei to give up its research on the interplanetary probes Kosmoplan and to concentrate on a version of its Raketoplan, lunar vessel LK-1.

Competitions of men and delays official

Whereas the 1erjuin 1961, the first secretary of the Communist party of the Soviet Union (PCUS) Nikita Khrouchtchev request in its protected Chelomei to begin the phase from definition from a launcher, the UR-500 Proton (Прото́н) and vessel LK-1 for a circumlunar manned flight, Korolev, which are in dissension with the use of Ergol S poisons, response by proposing a mission of lunar unloading based on a competitor vessel, the Soyuz (Союз), suited to appointments in orbit and a module of lunar landing. In February 1962, a secret meeting takes place at the seaside resort of Pitsounda, on the Black Sea, and spares the goat and cabbage by authorizing the development of the Proton of Chelomei like N1 of Korolev. In April 1962 is approved the general configuration of the UR-500, which takes account of the characteristics of the UR-700, which does not profit from any authorization of development. However, Glouchko receives green light to study the driving RD-270 of the UR-700. The relations of Glouchko, which profits from a quasi-monopoly on the construction of rocket engines, with Korolev already worsened so much so that this last prefers to him as of 1959 OKB -276 (today Dvigateli NK) of the manufacturer of reaction engine Nikolai Kouznetsov. These competitions of men undermine the Soviet space effort in its race with the the Moon.

In addition, on August 3rd 1964, is 3 years after the speech of the President of the United States John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Nikita Khrouchtchev decides the programs Proton/Zond (Зонд) of uninhabited overflight of the Moon and N1-L3 of unloading of a cosmonaut, although the soldiers were interested by the ballistic missiles than by the the Moon and in the middle of the competitions, of a chaotic organization and a skimped budget, the Soviet effort showed bitter failures. . The ministry for the general Mechanical engineering (MOM), including/understanding 2 million paid approximately (!) at the end of the years 1980, created as of 1965 to manage the whole of the research activities and production, as had the role, while becoming the obligatory interlocutor of the principal persons in charge of companies and programs, the general manufacturers, to limit the direct relations as those had established with the political officials. Because, like showed it the lunar program, these relations had involved competitions and wasting of the resources. .

Project UR-700/LK-700

Of 1962 with 1967, Chelomei and Glouchko hope to roast the priority with Korolev and its project N1/L3 with modular launcher UR-700 and lunar train LK-700, designed for a direct lunar landing in May 1972. With an argument: since Korolev refuses the modular design for its N1, it must be built on the site of launching without its 1st stage not being able to be tested statically before the vol. Contrary, the elements of the UR-700 can be tested with the Khrunichev factory of Moscow, transported by Rail and be quickly assembled with the Cosmodrome de Baïkonour. Chelomei presents its project of UR-700 to Khrouchtchev at the time of a meeting with Baïkonour on September 24th 1964, in which also Korolev takes part. Decision is made to examine the counter-proposal, which is however put on side during one year after the dismissal of the First secretary and his replacement by Leonid Brejnev.

Modular launcher UR-700

Work on the outline of the UR-700 is authorized in October 1965. In September 1966, the VPK decides to seriously compare the UR-700 and N1. The launcher measures 76 meters, weighs: 4823 tons for a payload of 151 tons in LEO and of 50 tons in lunar Orbit of transfer.

It includes/understands 3 stages functioning with the fuel Diméthylhydrazine (NH₂-N (CH₃) ₂) (out of orange on the diagrams opposite and below) and with the Comburant Peroxyde of nitrogen (N₂O₄) (in green on the diagrams):

one 1st stage (6 booster rockets equipped each one with a driving RD-270) and one 2nd stage of 3 driving RD-270 igniting simultaneously and delivering on the whole a push of: 5760 tons on takeoff. In T+151 seconds, the 6 booster rockets are ejected and fall down to 331 km of the site of launching while the 2nd stage continues to function until T+457 before separation and is crushed to 1732 km of the site of launching;
one 3rd stage (derivative of the 1st stage of the Proton) lights its 3 driving RD-254 of approximately 407 tons of thorough at this time there before separation with T+682 seconds to 200 km of altitude and place lunar train LK-700 in Orbite of waiting.

Lunar train LK-700

The third training course, based one the Proton first training course, placed the LK-700 spacecraft into has 200 km earth orbit. The LK-700 was equipped with furnace nearly identical clustered training courses and has lunar landing/ascent training course. The three outer training courses fired to place the spacecraft one has translunar trajectory. The inner core training course was used for midcourse corrections, braked the spacecraft into lunar orbit, and then again until it was just above the lunar surface. The ascent final training course performed the software landing one the moon and then, using the landing legacy ace has launch platform, launched the LK-700 capsules back towards the earth.

The program Proton/Zond

The launcher Proton

Launchings

The circumlunar vessel Zond

Program N1-L3

The N1 launcher

The existence of the N1 launcher is revealed only during the Glasnost by the Izvestia. At the same period, the specialized magazine Znanye Cosmonavtika Astronomiya publishes of them plans, resulting from the newspaper of Vassily Michine, the successor of Korolev, sold: 190000 dollars with the biddings, in 1993, with the the United States. It includes/understands 4 stages functioning with the Kérosène RP-1 (the fuel) and with the Oxygène liquid (LOX) (the Comburant), easy of employment but less powerful than the couple Hydrogène/liquid Oxygène:

one 1st stage (known as block A) not including/understanding less than 30 rocket engines NK-15 delivering a push of: 4 620 tons on takeoff (154 tons in the vacuum);
one 2nd stage (known as block B) including/understanding 8 driving NK-15V delivering a push of: 1 427 tons on the whole;
one 3rd stage (known as block V) including/understanding 4 driving NK-21 of 653 tons thrust;
one 4th stage (known as block G) including/understanding only one driving NK-19 of 40,8 tons push intended to propel the “lunar train”.

Static tests

They include/understand:

4 lightings with full power (approximately 600 tons) of 4 with the 8 driving NK15V of the 2nd stage (block B) the February 2nd, April 13rd, August 23rd 1967 and on November 25th 1970;
3 lightings with full power (approximately: 1200 tons) of the 8 driving NK15V of the 2nd stage (block B) on June 23rd 1968, on August 29th 1970 and on December 15th 1973;
a cycle of lightings of each driving NK15 of the 1st stage (block A);
of lightings of the driving NK-19 of the 4th stage (block G) and of the driving RD-58 (block D) of lunar vessel LOK.

According to OKB -1 (today RKK Energia), all the static tests of the driving are crowned success.

Launchings

Such is not the case of 4 launchings of site 110 of the Cosmodrome de Baïkonour of the lunar rocket N1, which all are failures which had with a failure of the 1st stage:

1st N1 (flight 3L) embarking a model of the lunar module explodes while falling down on the ground on February 21st 1969. At the end of 10eseconde, the system of correction and push disconnects the driving 12 and 24, then in T+66 seconds, a drain of Oxygène liquid breaks under the effect of the vibrations and fire is declared with the back of the launcher. In T+70 seconds and 14 km of altitude, all the driving stop and the space train L3 is ejected by the system of safeguard. The L1 cabin will land with several tens of kilometers of the launching pad in good state.

A surging meeting of the charged commission to analyze the failure of the 1st launching takes place the May 19th - May 20th 1969 between official and general engineers of the program, where all problems - gift - would have been identified and corrected. Vladimir Barmine refuses that the driving are extinct before 15-20 seconds of flight in order to prevent a destruction of the launching pad, but time presses and this measurement is decided only for the 3rd vol., supported by the Minister for the MOM Georgi Tyulin, declares that if 2nd flight fails, N1 will have to accomplish another trial flight without the LOK and predicted that, even in the event of success, the LOK and the LK will not be optimal in time to gain the race against the the United States. Michine, the first assistant of Korolev is not agreement and wants that the LOK belongs to the 3rd flight and requires that the lunar train complete L3 serf with the lunar landing at the time of the 4th vol. Konstantin Bushuyev declare that a circumlunar flight is for the time being impossible. Ivan Serbin, official Soviet, recalls that the orders of the Central committee of PCUS related to one 2nd circumlunar flight. Finally, Leonid Smirnov, president of militaro-industrial commission VPK of the Central committee, concluded on the mission planned for the birthday from the Révolution from October during which 3 vessels Soyuz would be simultaneously in terrestrial Orbite, 2 mooring while 3rd the event would film.

2nd N1 (flight 5L) embarking a model of the lunar module takes fire on July 3rd 1969 with 100 meters of altitude because of the explosion of the driving 8 in consequence of the ingestion of remains of Aluminum by the pump with Oxygène. N1 falls down on the step of shooting of right-hand side of the site 110 (as will confirm it later sights of the American reconnaissance satellite KH 4B one month), which is destroyed, like the tower of service and certain underground installations. The explosion is equivalent to that of a bomb of 10 kilotons. The rebuilding of the step of shooting of hard Right of August 1969 with 1972;
3rd N1 (flight 6L) embarking a model of the lunar train L3 deviates of its Trajectoire (which reaches 145°N with T+14 seconds) on July 27th 1971 and involves its loss of control with T+51 seconds of flight (either 1 second to engage the stop of the driving too late);
4th N1 (flight 7L) embarking a model of the lunar train L3 explodes in T+107 seconds of flight (that is to say 7 seconds before the separation of the 1st stage) on November 23rd 1972 following the destruction of the pump with Oxygène of the driving 4 had with a abnormal Oscillation ( pogo oscillation ).

On the other hand, the tests by other launchers will have been rather successes:

the 1st launching of lunar vessel LOK (or T1K) fails because of a failure of the 3rd stage of the Proton on November 28th 1969, while the 2nd launching is a success with simulations of appointment and injection on terrestrial trajectory on December 2nd 1970;
2nd and the 3rd launchings of the module of lunar landing LK (or T2K) starting from a Semiorka - Soyuz are successes the November 24th 1970 and August 12th 1971.

The lunar train L3

Vessel LOK

The lunar vessel LOK (Lunniy Orbitalny Korabl) or L1K or 7K-L3 is the heaviest version of the vessel Soyuz since, with a mass of: 9 850 kg, it weigh 4 tons more than the Soyuz has (1963) and 3 of more than the Soyuz 7K-OK (1967 - 1971). It is also longer (10,06 m) and broader (2,93 m diameter). It includes/understands:

orbital module BO (бытовойотсек) a 4,55 meters length, of conical form (2,93 meters diameter), is truncated with before by the system of Amarrage male assisted Kontakt of 4 shock absorbers (instead of system IGLA of the Soyuz) allowing a junction carefully with the LK. Around are 6 tanks for the rocket engines of operation of SA. As it is seen, the Kontakt system does not have a Sas, obliging the cosmonaut to carry out a Sortie extravéhiculaire but having helped to reduce the weight of the LOK and to simplify its architecture. With the top of the module the control system of altitude ODOP is installed, with the lower part a laser Télémètre - optical. The BO also lodges the system of Rosa support-life which recycles drinking water moisture;
the module of re-entry SA (спускаемыйаппарат) a 2 meters length, a diameter of 2,20 meters and a mass of: 2850 kg have an heatshield finer than that of the Soyuz 7K-OK and two openings, of which one on the side, allowing the left extravéhiculaires. Lastly, certain equipment of the control panel seems different, while behaviors were added to place the spacesuits Krechet and the samples collected on the the Moon. On the other hand, the 2 Cosmonaute S sat side by side in the standard seats of the Soyuz;
the module of service CAM (приборно-агрегатныйотсек) a XXX meters length, of a diameter from XXX to XXX includes/understands:

the compartment of transition and the equipment PO box placing 4 pairs of driving auxiliary from Rolling and Lace permenant the operations from Mooring, the systems of Avionics, Communication, Telemetry and the numerical computer guiding not only the LOK but the lunar train entire L3 at the time of the whole of the phases of flight, the injection on lunar Orbit until the Désorbitation, while posting the position of the vessel in real-time thanks to an Inertial unit . PO also includes/understands a EKhG system of alkaline combustible batteries Volna-20 supplied with 4 reserves of 600 kg liquid Oxygène and Hydrogène. Similar to those installed on the American vessels Gemini and Apollo, they produce of 1,5 KW of electrical energy to 27 Volt S for 500 hours, of heat and drinking water, in complement of the Rosa system. They are tested in a static way from November 1st to December 29th 1971 then directly on the 4th N1 launcher from August 24th to November 23rd 1972;
the engine room AO including/understanding the driving principal (Block I) of: 3388 kg of pushed and the driving of appointment and correction of orbit (SKD) of 417 kg push.

The module of lunar landing LK

The Soviet modules of Alunissage gave place to many outlines, as the initial version L3 (1963) then the LK of Korolev (which is finally retained in 1964), the LK-3 (1962) and LK-700 (1966) of Chelomei, the L3M (2 versions) of Korolev (1972) and LEK (1969 - 1974), the KLE (1964 - 1974) and Lunokhod of Chelomei; module DLB of Barmine (1962 - 1974), LZM and LZhM of Korolev (1975), another version of the Lunokhod and the LEK (1975) of Glouchko for the lunar base Vulkan. LK (Lunniy Korabl)

Profile of mission

The mission is designed to last 11-12 days. It includes/understands the following sequences:

J+1: N1 puts on low terrestrial orbit (LEO) the lunar train L3, which can remain there up to one day;
J+2: the driving NK-19 of the 4th stage (block G) accelerates L3 until the orbit of escape and propels it near the the Moon before separating;
J+2 in J+5: the driving RD-58 (block D) continues acceleration;
J+5 in J+7: the driving RD-58 puts L3 on Orbite lunar circular then elliptic (Orbite of transfer of Hohmann) by two corrections of trajectory;
J+7: by Left extravéhiculaire, a Cosmonaute leaves the LOK in Spacesuit Krechet to join the LK;
J+7: the phase of descent starts:

to 14 km of altitude, part of the block D and LK is ejected;
to 4 km of altitude, the block D separates from the LK and is crushed to 4 km from there on lunar surface with 115m/s while the driving principal 11D411 (block E) of the LK ignites;
of 4 km to 300 m of altitude, the driving 11D411 slows down the descent (at this altitude, the mission can be cancelled by lighting with full power of the 11D411 and/or driving sound of help 11D412 (only one lighting) and join the LOK in orbit);
from 300 to 100 m of altitude, the Alunissage continues in a semi-automatic way;
in lower part of 100 m altitude, of the driving of operation makes it possible to land automatically until a slope of 30°;

J+7 : the Cosmonaute remains on the the Moon from 6 to 12 midnight and carries out several left extravéhiculaires;
J+8: the driving principal 11D411 ignites and propels the stage of increase of the LK towards the lunar Orbite;
J+8: The LK moors automatically with the LOK;
J+8: by Left extravéhiculaire, the Cosmonaute leaves the LK in Spacesuit Krechet to join the LOK;
J+8: the driving (block I) propels the LOK until the Orbite of escape and near the Earth;
J+11: the module of re-entry (SA) of the LOK separates from the couple modulates orbital (BO) /module of service (CAM) and returns in the terrestrial Atmosphère then is slowed down by Parachute S before the Atterrissage.

The continuation of the program (1970-1974)

The N1F and lunar train LEK

Michine had worked on the project improved N1F (which consists of a replacement of the driving of the 3 stages by, respectively, of the NK-33, NK-43 and NK-31) for launching of a Space station, future the Salyut (Салют). In June 1970, authorization is given 10 years after the request for Korolev to develop for the N1F an upper floor to several rocket engines Cryotechnique S (Hydrogène liquid Oxygène liquid) named block Sr. In July 1970, OKB -276 of Kouznetsov is charged to develop the N1F of a capacity of 105 tons in LEO. The outline of the program is validated in February 1972 then in May 1972. The program is studied as of on January 1st 1973. Lunar Expeditionary Complex (LEK) always includes/understands a vessel Soyuz integrated in a pressurized cap (known as OB), which allows the direct passage without Sortie extravéhiculaire orbital module BO the module of Alunissage L3M. Of a mass of 23-25 tons, a height 9,3 m in a maximum scale of 9,4 m and of a diameter of 4,4 m, it can largely accommodate 3 Cosmonaute S for one 90 days duration. The sequence of descent and increase is the same one as for the LK.

The cancellation of the program (1974)

Whereas two N1F are ready to be launched (the first in the 4th quarter 1974), Michine is replaced by Glouchko, which cancels on May 2nd 1974 5th and the 6th launchings of N1 (8L and 9L, just like the totality of lunar program N1-L3, without no decree of the VPK authorizing it there. Ironically, on January 1st, 1975, Glouchko pleads (without success) near the same commission in favor of the permanent lunar base Vulkan of Michine, which was to be launched by of N1!

The cost of program N1-L3 is quantified in January 1973 to 3,6 billion roubles, including 2.4 billion for N1 only. In 1976, the amount of 6 billion roubles registers with losses and profits.

One second life for the engines

Lunar bases

lunar base semi-permanent DLB of Vladimir Barmine (1962) for 9 Cosmonaut S having to be operational in 1975;
the KLE Complex (1964 - 1974) including/understanding a first semi-permanent base (3 to 6 months) for 3 Cosmonaut S conceived by Vladimir Chelomei (80 tons) then one second conceived by Vladimir Barmine (150 tons) in front of being respectively operational in 1975 and 1980;
base LEK (Lunar Complex Exploration) conceived by Valentine Glouchko (1974) for 3 Cosmonaut S, including/understanding Laboratorno-zhiloy modul' (LZhM) semi-permanent and permanent Laboroatorno-zavodskoy (LZM) modul', in front of being operational in 1980;
the Energia Lunar Forwarding conceived by Valentine Glouchko (1988), a heavier resurgence of space train LOK-LK of 1964 for 3 Cosmonaut S and a 10 days duration;

See too

Around the program

Books

Unpleasant Jacques, “With the conquest of the Moon”, Larousse-Bordered, Paris, 1998
, “Challenge to Apollo: The Soviet Union and the Space Race, 1945-1974”, NASA History Office, Washington, 2000
, “Rockets and People”, NASA History Office, Washington, 2005
Pierre Baland, “Of Sputnik to the Moon: secret history of the Soviet space program”, Editions Jacqueline Chambon, Paris, 2007

Standard commodities

Marcus Lindroos, “The Soviet Manned Lunar Program”

Internal bonds

Colonization of the Moon

External bonds

Description of the N1 launcher on Russian Space Web
Description of the N1 launcher on Encyclopedia Astronautica
Description of vessel LOK on Encyclopedia Astronautica
Description of the module of lunar landing LK on Encyclopedia Astronautica

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