1. Soviet Manned Lunar Exploration Program

2. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Background
Manned Lunar Boosters – N-1
Manned Lunar Boosters – Proton
Manned Lunar Hardware
L-1 Lunar Flight Hardware
L-3 Lunar Flight Hardware
Questions

3. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Background
After the launch of the first cosmonauts and astronauts into orbit, the U.S.-Soviet space race was transformed into the race to the Moon
The U.S. leadership turned to NASA and aerospace expertise to put the first man on the Moon

4. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
The Soviet bureaucratic structure divided their major military and space hardware assignments into two or more design bureaus to ensure success by duplicating efforts
The obvious and predictable result was a weakened effort resulting from the division of funding and the dilution of responsibility for a very complex program

5. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
A proposal for manned lunar project hardware was made by Korolev (OKB-1) and Chelomei (OKB-456) in 1961
Korolev was assigned a separate launcher and flight vehicle to compete with Chelomei’s launcher and flight hardware in 1964
3 years after the announcement of the American Apollo program
The late start would plague the program until it was terminated in 1974

6. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Korolev’s lunar heavy-lift booster named the N-1 was originally designed for the early Soviet military manned space station named Zvezda (“Star”)
Chelomei’s UR-700 heavy-lift booster using Glushko’s large RD-270 engines were proposed for a direct launch and return for manned missions to the Moon
UR-700 was later scaled back for used as a smaller booster to power cosmonauts around the Moon and back without landing
Became the UR-500

7. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Sketch of competing heavy-lift launchers proposed for manned lunar missions
Korolev’s N-1 (left)
Chelomei’s UR-700 (center)
Yangel’s R-56 (right)

8. Manned Lunar Boosters N-1

9. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Korolev’s N-1 heavy-lift booster was shaped by the 24-engine configuration on the 1st stage
Glusko refused to cooperate with Korolev in the design of the booster engines
Korolev was then forced to use a compromise engine design that consisted of 24 engines on the first stage
Later addition of 6 engines totaled 30 engines in the final design

10. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Kuznestov’s NK-15 basic engine design for the N-1 was adapted for the first stage (NK-33) and modified on the two upper stages to accommodate lower atmospheric pressures

11. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
N-1’s 24 1st stage engines surround the additional six in the inner ring
Required for increased payload to reach the Moon

12. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
N-1 1st stage (Block A) shown during assembly in the Baikonor facility

13. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
In case one or more of the N-1 1st stage engines failed, an engine controller named KORD was developed to shut down an engine diametrically opposed to any engine that failed in order to retain thrust symmetry
In the rush to complete the N-1/L-3 project, tests of the whole first and second stage units were never made
NK-33 engines did go through individual operational tests for the first stage (Block A)

14. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
The N-1 2nd stage (Block B) shown on the right had eight NK-43 engines that produced 1,432 metric tons of thrust of with a burn time of 130 sec

15. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
The N-1 3rd stage (Block V) included four NK-39 engines producing 164 metric tons of thrust

16. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Assembled N-1 being erected on a rail platform at the Baikonor launch facility

17. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Additional propulsion for the flight vehicles in the L-3 complex included two primary boosters (Block G and Block D)
Block G, a single-engine booster with a thrust of 41 metric tons, was used for trans-lunar injection (departing Earth for the Moon)
Block D was used for lunar orbit insertion and for lunar deorbit boost for the LK lander

18. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Propulsion for Korolev’s L-3 complex was also built in to the LOK lunar orbiter as a dual engine thruster
3.3 metric ton thrust
First use for lunar orbit rendezvous
Second use for trans-Earth injection (departing the Moon for Earth)
The LK lunar lander also had a redundant dual-engine 2.1 metric ton thruster used for both lunar descent and lunar ascent

19. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
N-1 testing
First launch of the N-1 vehicle was on February 21, 1969 in preparation for cosmonaut flights later in the year
Payload was a modified L-1 vehicle to avoid the possible loss of valuable hardware
Ruptured fuel lines and command shutdown of all engines by the KORD 60 seconds after launch resulted in the loss of the launcher, although the L1 was safely recovered

20. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
N-1 testing
Second launch of the N-1 was on July 3, 1969 for a circumlunar mission carrying Zond L1S-2
Nine seconds after launch, engine failure and explosion destroyed the vehicle and launch pad
Destruction of the Baikonor pad was visible from space and was the first solid evidence the Soviets were attempting to beat Apollo astronauts to the Moon

21. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
The third N-1 launch on June 27, 1971 was an operational test with a dummy payload
Loss of directional stability 51 seconds into the launch resulted in engine shutdown and the destruction of the vehicle

22. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
The fourth and last N-1 launch was on November 23, 1972
The six central engines on the 1st stage were shut down as planned, but the fuel line pressure surge ruptured several feed lines to the engines on the outer ring which led to the destruction of the vehicle

23. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
N-1/L-3 cancellation
Repeated failures of the manned lunar hardware and the dwindling interest in the projects led to the cancellation of all hardware and program funding in 1974, and the firing of Mishin as the director of OKB-1
Glushko took command of the prestigious OKB-1 design bureau and eventually nearly all spacecraft and large booster design

24. Manned Lunar Boosters UR-500/Proton

25. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Chelomei’s UR-500 was a 2-stage booster originally designed for a large ICBM, but was never deployed as a weapons launcher since it was oversized
UR-500 Proton (named for the early scientific satellites named Proton) was approved for the scaled-down circumlunar project assigned to Chelomei’s OKB-456 design bureau
The Proton first launched in 1965 was adapted with a fourth stage to reach the Moon with a Soyuz capsule redesigned for the circumlunar mission

26. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Proton booster being erected for launch at the Baikonor complex (payload is a Phobos Mars explorer)

27. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
The Proton engines were designed by Glushko using nitrogen tetroxide (NTO) and unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine (UDMH) as propellants
Six first-stage liquid fuel strap-on boosters were separated after about 3.5 min
Later variations including the Proton K and Proton M (current model) have been used to orbit all of the Soviet and Russian space station modules including the Mir and Zvezda

28. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
The Proton booster successfully launched the L-1 circumlunar complex to the Moon but only with laboratory animals
Crews were trained for manned circumlunar missions but were never flown
Leonov was the first assigned commander
Proton launcher survived the cancellation of the manned lunar program in 1974 and still flys today

29. Soviet Manned Lunar Hardware

30. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
To accelerate the lagging Soviet manned lunar program, Kruschev and the Politburo decided to divide the project into two phases, with at least one having a chance to beat Americans to the Moon
First, fastest, and simplest was the circumlunar mission
No landing and similar to Apollo 8
Chelomei’s UR-700 that was scaled back to the UR-500 would be used to develop and test lunar hardware similar to the Saturn 1 and 1B
Second and most ambitious were the lunar landing missions to compete with Apollo
Launched by the N-1 using combined hardware from both design bureaus

31. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Flight hardware for the N-1 program included a lunar lander as well as the crew capsule
Designation for the lunar flight hardware was L-3
Soyuz that was already under development for the manned lunar flights was accelerated, and also spun off as a simplified vehicle for the manned circumlunar missions under Chelomei
Designation for the circumlunar flight hardware was L-1

32. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Korolev’s early proposals for manned lunar missions included a group of four modules called Sever (“South”)
Included Vostok capsules for crews to reach orbiting complex
Later designated L1, then after major redesign, Soyuz (“Union”)

33. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Korolev’s manned lunar complex was simplified to compete with Chelomei’s proposal and included the Soyuz crew capsule (Soyuz A), along with two booster modules to reach the Moon and return (Soyuz B and C)

34. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Sketch of the Soyuz A crew capsule including habitation unit (left), descent and service modules (right), and solar arrays
Chelomei’s L-1 circumlunar experiment and crew capsule would come directly from the Korolev descent and service module design

35. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
By 1965, the design of the two separate lunar mission design hardware had been established
Korolev’s L-3 flight hardware was to be launched on his N-1 booster to beat the American Apollo astronauts to the lunar surface by 1969
Designation: N-1/L-3

36. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Chelomei’s circumlunar mission was to be launched with his UR-500 booster to beat the Apollo astronauts to the Moon and back without landing
Designation: UR-500/L-1

37. L-1 Lunar Flight Hardware

38. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Chelomei’s circumlunar mission was approved in 1964, but delays in the project from inexperience in space flight hardware resulted in the project being placed under Korolev’s OKB-1 bureau
Korolev’s death in 1966 froze most of the project details and dramatically slowed progress
Testing of the Proton launcher and the Soyuz stripped-down circumlunar capsule known as Zond (“Probe”) began in 1967

39. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
First UR-500/L-1 launch in 1967 designated Cosmos 146 was a success, including the Block D upper stage that was to be used for trans-lunar injection
Included important communications gear and launch escape system
Projected launch of first manned circumlunar mission to beat Apollo 8 astronauts to the Moon appeared to be within reach

40. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Sketch of the L-1 vehicle assembly at launch, including the equipment/crew capsule and launch escape system
8K82k launch vehicle refers to the Proton K / UR-500 booster

41. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
A series of failures in in 1967 including the first manned test flight of the Soyuz capsule and the death of cosmonaut Komorov set the manned lunar program back several years
Three successive failed launches of the UR-500/L-1 hardware in 1967 and the failure of the first N-1 launch pushed the first circumlunar manned mission beyond the projected Apollo 8 launch
Expectations were still high for reaching the Moon with the N-1/L-3 before the Americans

42. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Sketch of the L-1 capsule and Block D booster module that was to take the first cosmonauts to the Moon and back
Launched with Zond and Cosmos designation
included biological specimens

43. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
L-1 and UR-500/Proton launcher being transported to the Baikonor pad

44. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
L-1 lunar flight module being prepared for integration on the UR-500/ Proton launcher at the Baikonor facility

45. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Diagram of the L1 circumlunar flyby mission profile

46. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Five more Zond circumlunar missions were launched in 1968 to man-rate the L-1 vehicle
These Soyuz 7K-L1 vehicle tests were intended to prove the Soyuz crew vehicle and booster ready for man flight to the Moon
Soyuz lunar crew vehicle models included the 7K-OK, 7K-L1, 7K-L3

47. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Later Soyuz variations were used for Soviet and Russian space station crew transport
Soyuz crew transfer vehicles for the Salyut space station included 7K-T and 7K-TM
More recent Soyuz models used for the Mir and ISS stations include the T, TM, TMA, and TMA-M
Soyuz TMA-M models are the most recent and were first launched in 2010

48. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Soyuz/Zond lunar test flight were used to qualify the vehicle for human crews to the Moon
Cosmos Launched March 10, 1967 – first Proton/L-1 success
Prototype Soyuz 7K-L1P launched into highly elliptical Earth orbit away from the Moon to avoid its gravitational influence
Cosmos Launched April 8, 1967 (unsuccessful)
Prototype Soyuz 7K-L1P launched into failed translunar trajectory

49. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Zond 1967A - Launched September 28, 1967 (unsuccessful)
Launch failure but escape tower enabled the successful recovery of the Zond capsule

50. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Zond 1967B - Launched November 22, 1967 (unsuccessful)
Second stage failure but Zond capsule was recovered
Zond 4 - Launched March 2, 1968 (partial success)
Returned to Earth March 7, 1968 but errant reentry resulted in a self-destruct command to avoid off-course impact
Zond 1968A - Launched April 23, 1968 (unsuccessful)
Second stage failure destroyed rocket and vehicle
Zond 1968B - Launched July 21, 1968 (unsuccessful)
Block D stage exploded on pad, killing three people

51. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Zond 5 - Launched September 15, 1968 (successful)
Circumlunar approach on September 18 and returned to Earth September 21 with biological specimens
Accidental ballistic reentry command destroyed capsule but biological samples were retrieved
First lifeforms to travel to the Moon and return
Zond 6 - Launched November 10, 1968 (successful)
Circumlunar approach on November 14 and return November 17
Parachute misfire and cabin depressurization would have killed crew, so man-rating was not complete
Zond 1969A - Launched January 20, 1969 (unsuccessful)
2nd stage shutdown early and vehicle abort, although capsule was recovered

52. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Zond L1S-1 - Launched February 21, 1969 (unsuccessful)
First launch of the N-1 that experienced a 1st stage failure
L1 capsule recovered
Zond L1S-2 - Launched July (unsuccessful)
Second N-1 launch, again with a 1st stage failure
Zond capsule recovered
Zond 7 - Launched August 7, 1969 (successful)
Circumlunar flyby August 11, returned to Earth August 14
First completely successful test of systems and could have returned a crew alive, although man rating was not completed

53. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Zond 8 - Launched October 20, 1970 (successful)
Circumlunar flyby October 24, returned to Earth October 27
Ocean landing
Zond 9 and Zond 10 missions were cancelled
Circumlunar manned missions no longer had any relevance since the Americans had successfully orbited Apollo 8 astronauts around the Moon in 1968 and landed the Apollo 11 astronauts on the Moon in July 1969

54. L-3 Lunar Flight Hardware

55. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Korolev’s N-1/L-3 project had trumped Chelomei’s competing proposal for a manned lunar landing in 1965, but also represented a much more challenging effort
L-3 flight vehicle complex was four different modules launched into Earth-orbit with the N-1 heavy-lift booster
LOK (Soyuz) orbital module (Lunniy Orbitalniy Korabl)
Block D booster
Block G booster
LK lunar lander (Lunniy korabl)
Similar to the Apollo Command Module, Service Module, and Lunar Module assembly

56. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Cutaway of the L-3 complex. LOK orbiter is on the left with the LK lander to the right of the LOK. Dual boosters for lunar orbit and Earth-return propulsion are shown as Block G and D

57. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
L-3 lunar complex being prepared for integration on N-1 launcher at the Baikonor assembly and launch facility

58. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Cutaway of the LOK lunar orbiter that included habitation and reentry modules, and combined orbit/deorbit booster and service/support module, similar to the Apollo Command and Service Module

59. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Soyuz 7K-L3 cutaway with the habitation module atop the descent module

60. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
Comparison of the Apollo Command and Service Module and the Soviet LOK orbital module

61. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
The L-3 manned lunar complex included a lunar lander designated LK (Lunniy Korabl - Лунный корабль—"lunar vehicle")
Crew capacity of LK lander was only one cosmonaut
LK did not have a separate descent and ascent module like the Apollo Lunar Module

62. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
No docking or attached tunnel to allow direct access from the LOK
Cosmonauts had to “space walk” to transfer from/to the LK module
Testing of the LK was done separately using modified R-7 Soyuz boosters
Cosmos 379
Cosmos 398
Cosmos 474

63. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
LK lunar lander on the right is/was located in the Energia museum
One-man crew cabin is located in the spherical shell atop the lower landing assembly

64. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
LK lunar lander

65. Russia’s Manned Lunar Program
The Soviet manned lunar program did not end with the final failure of the N-1 booster, but with decision in 1974 that Russia’s space programs would change direction
The May, 1974 decree established the following:
Soviet manned lunar program would be terminated
Heavy-lift booster later named Energia was approved under Glushko’s guidance
Buran space shuttle project approved
Geostationary satellite communications system approved
Mishin removed as head of OBK-1 which was now under Glushko
The secret Soviet manned lunar program ended in 1974, with most of the hardware destroyed

66. Questions?