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/

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...