3 ms·

The N1 rocket was intended to be similar but how far along it really was to completion seems questionable to me. I’m not a rocket scientist, but my understandin

The N1 rocket was intended to be similar but how far along it really was to completion seems questionable to me. I’m not a rocket scientist, but my understanding is the first stage was not statically tested and the complete rocket failed in the first stage on each of its four tests - one of which caused a gigantic explosion in the launch complex visible from over 20 miles away. If anyone with deeper rocket history expertise can weigh in I’d be interested to know how feasible an average historian would consider the successful completion of the N1 if it had continued to be funded.

gcanyon 3y ago
Here are links to posts about the N1, and the Soviet lunar program, on AskHistorians: Most mention Korolev's failing health and death. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3riyh3/why_didnt_the_ussr_land_a_man_on_the_moon/ https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3riyh3/why_d... Summary: Khrushchev wanted the moon for cheap, lunar rockets weren't useful for ICBM research, the transition to Brezhnev threw a wrench into the program. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/22pled/why_did_the_ussr_lose_the_race_to_the_moon/ https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/22pled/why_d... Summary: infighting, N1 had too many rockets and not enough quality control, exhaustion on the team, and Soviet electronics were way behind U.S. electronics. Comments from the soviets themselves: https://web.archive.org/web/20121002063209/http://www.astronautix.com/articles/whynrace.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20121002063209/http://www.astron...