It is believed that the Soviet lunar program ended without success. So we lost this race to the Americans and wasted a lot of time and effort? Only today, when the “Top Secret” stamp on these developments has finally been removed, we can be convinced that the opinion about the lunar program as a failure is false, because almost all of our achievements: the launch of the first satellite, the first cosmonaut, the first interplanetary stations were one way or another connected with it and worked for the main thing - preparing for the landing of man on the surface of the Moon. PROJECT "NORTH"
On January 2, 1959, the USSR carried out the first successful launch of the three-stage Vostok launch vehicle, created as part of the R-7 family of rockets. The rocket launched the Luna-1 automatic station onto the flight path to the Moon, which 34 hours after launch passed six thousand kilometers from the target. Communication with the station was maintained for more than 60 hours.

In March of the same year, under the leadership of Sergei Korolev, preparations began for the creation of a new spacecraft designed for near-Earth flights and flights to the Moon. Initially, the project, called “North,” did not involve landing an astronaut on the surface of our natural satellite - it was only about a manned flight around the Moon. By the summer, the constructors had developed the parameters that formed the basis for the design of the future ship.

The Soyuz 7K-L1 program was conceived as a preliminary stage. The spacecraft within the framework of this program was intended for a manned flight around the Moon lasting 6-7 days. Since it was not planned to enter lunar orbit, the ship did not have a powerful propulsion system, and the return to Earth was ensured by maneuvering in the gravitational field of the Moon. With accurate calculations and correct output, turning on the engine for return was not required at all. The Soyuz 7K-L1 spacecraft weighed approximately 5,600 kilograms and was created on the basis of the Soyuz project. Externally, L1 resembled the Soyuz, but was two-seater and did not have a spherical orbital module.


However, already at the first stage of work it became clear that in order to implement the project it was necessary to put into mass production a completely new type of launch vehicle. Therefore, on July 23, 1960, the USSR government set OKB-1 the task of creating a new launch vehicle with a launch mass of more than 2000 tons to launch a payload of over 80 tons into low orbit. The rocket was supposed to use conventional chemical fuel, and 7 years were allotted for the entire development. The program was named N-1 (presumably from the word “carrier”) and had a special designation -11A52.


On July 28 of the same year, the start of work on the Apollo project was officially announced in the United States, which included a manned flyby of the Moon and landing a man on its surface. The Battle for the Moon has begun.
TO THE MOON THE ROYAL WAY
Almost immediately with the start of work on the new launch vehicle, serious disagreements emerged between two leading Soviet designers, Valentin Glushko (OKB-456) and Sergei Korolev (OKB-1), regarding the further development of rocket science. Glushko believed that the best fuel components were nitric acid and heptyl. The combustion characteristics of these substances are quite high, but they are extremely toxic and dangerous to use. Korolev adhered to the approach according to which traditional kerosene could be used for the first stage, and hydrogen engines should be developed for the second and third.
The American designer Wernher von Braun, when creating a carrier for the Apollo program, also followed the path of using kerosene and hydrogen. It was planned to place 5 F-1 engines with a thrust of 690 tons on the first stage of the Saturn-V rocket. Work on the F-1 began back in 1955, and the first fire tests took place in August 1961.

Since such power could not be achieved in the USSR, Korolev decided to use engines with a thrust of 150 tons. Similar engines could have been created at OKB-456 (Glushko) or OKB-276 (Nikolai Kuznetsov). Since Korolev and Glushko had different views on this problem, the development was entrusted to Kuznetsov. In August 1964, in response to the American plan for landing on the Moon, a decision was made to develop a similar program based on the N-1 launch vehicle according to a scheme that provided for the presence of an orbital and landing modules.
The program provided for the launch into lunar orbit of the two-seat space orbital vehicle Soyuz 7K-LOK and the single-seat lunar spacecraft LK-T2K. Rocket block D was intended for braking near the Moon. In orbit, one of the astronauts had to move through outer space into the lunar ship and, using the same block D, begin landing on the Moon. Immediately before landing, block D was discarded, and the ship, using its own propulsion system (block E), smoothly lowered onto four supports. The astronaut left the ship in the Krechet spacesuit and worked on the surface of the Moon for about a day. Upon completion of work on the surface, the lunar ship was supposed to return to orbit using Block E and dock with the orbital module. The astronaut went through open space into the orbital module and transferred samples of lunar soil into it, after which the lunar ship separated. To return to Earth, the orbital propulsion system (block I) had to be activated. The landing was carried out according to the same scheme as in the Soyuz 7K-L1 project.


According to calculations, the approximate mass of the fueled orbital module was 20 tons, and the takeoff and landing module was approximately 6 tons. The total load placed on the flight path to the Moon was 30 tons. In order to accelerate from the reference orbit to the second escape velocity, an additional stage was required, weighing 40-50 tons together with fuel. This means that the launch vehicle was supposed to deliver 75-100 tons of cargo into low Earth orbit. Only the N-1 rocket could solve this problem in a short time. On October 12, 1964, the first flight of the three-seater Voskhod spacecraft, piloted by cosmonauts Komarov, Feoktistov and Egorov, took place. The ship was launched into orbit by a new Soyuz rocket. For the first time, three cosmonauts were on the ship without spacesuits. Flights under the Voskhod program were carried out with the aim of practical testing of the systems of the future orbital vehicle for the lunar expedition. Due to the rush, the project did not provide for an emergency rescue system, and the risk of flying on Voskhod was very high. Fortunately, the flight went smoothly and the astronauts returned safely to Earth.
VICTIMS OF THE SPACE RACE
In December 1965, the lunar flyby project was completely transferred to Sergei Korolev's OKB-1. The new scenario provided for the use of a single series of Soyuz spacecraft for the flight around the Moon (modification Soyuz 7K-LK1) and for landing on the Moon (modification Soyuz 7K-LOK), and for the flight the one developed by the leading designer of OKB-52 Vladimir was to be used We fly the Proton rocket, and for landing we use the N-1 Korolev rocket.

Both projects involved the upper stage D developed at OKB-1. On January 14, 1966, Sergei Pavlovich Korolev died during a surgical operation. His place was taken by Vasily Mishin, who had less experience and personal connections. Nevertheless, the overall leadership of the lunar program remained with him.
In February, the N-1 rocket project was redesigned. To implement the program, it was necessary to increase the weight launched into low-Earth orbit from 75 to 95 tons. The first launch was scheduled for March 1968.
In November 1966, the stage of flight testing of Soyuz series spacecraft began (modification 7K-OK for near-Earth flights). The Soyuz rocket was used as a carrier. The first launch on November 28 revealed a large number of problems. The ship spontaneously ran out of fuel for the attitude control engines and was spinning uncontrollably. There were also problems with the automatic descent system. On December 14, during the launch of the next Soyuz, a fire and explosion occurred in the launch vehicle. The launch complex was heavily damaged.


In January 1967, pre-launch tests of the Proton-K launch vehicle began with a Soyuz series spacecraft capable of circling the Moon (two-seat modification 7K-L1). After flying around the Moon, the spacecraft's descent module was supposed to make a two-stage reentry into the atmosphere and a soft landing on the territory of the USSR. It was assumed that the manned flight of this complex would take place in June 1967, but the first unmanned launches revealed shortcomings in the ship's control systems and upper stage D, as well as problems in the Proton-K rocket.


At this time, the US lunar program received a heavy blow. On January 27, the crew of the first Apollo series ship died as a result of a fire that broke out during pre-launch tests. The cause of the fire was a short circuit, which proved fatal in the oxygen-rich atmosphere of the ship. In less than a minute, the fire completely filled the space of the command module, and, despite the crew's attempts to open the exit hatch, the flames covered the astronauts. The investigation into the incident revealed deficiencies in many systems, and subsequent modifications to the ship led to a delay in the implementation of the American program for 18 months. The USSR had a chance to close the gap and win the race. For this reason, a risky step was taken. On April 23, 1967, despite the fact that none of the previous four unmanned flights of the Soyuz 7K-OK spacecraft passed without accidents, Soyuz-1 went into space with Vladimir Komarov on board. The Soyuz rocket launched the ship into low-Earth orbit, where it was supposed to dock with the Soyuz-2 launching the next day (crew: Bykovsky, Khrunov and Eliseev). Two of the three crew members of Soyuz 2 were to transfer to Soyuz 1, after which both ships would return to Earth. In this way, the basic operations that needed to be done in lunar orbit to ensure landing on the Moon were worked out. However, immediately after the launch on Cora z e - 1, one solar battery did not open, and there was not enough energy to carry out rendezvous and docking operations. The launch of Soyuz-2 was canceled and it was decided to land Soyuz-1 ahead of schedule. Due to automatic failure, Komarov landed the ship manually. During descent into the atmosphere, the main brake parachute did not come out and the reserve parachute did not open, resulting in a descent speed of about 600 km/h. Vladimir Komarov died when the descent module hit the ground.
Nevertheless, work on the lunar program did not stop, and already in October, two unmanned spacecraft of the Soyuz 7K-OK series successfully performed automatic docking in orbit for the first time.
THE BRIGHT AND POVERTY OF THE LUNAR PROGRAM
In March 1968, the Proton-K - Soyuz 7K-L1 complex was launched. Upper stage D worked without any problems, the unmanned spacecraft flew along a highly elliptical trajectory, but due to the failure of the orientation system, instead of a smooth two-stage entry into the atmosphere, the descent vehicle made a ballistic descent to an off-design point and was destroyed on command from the Earth. Newspapers reported the successful flight of the Zond-4 apparatus. Subsequently, other unmanned ships of this series, which flew in 1968-70, were also called probes. Despite the accident of the Proton launch vehicle on April 22, the first Soviet manned flight around the Moon was scheduled for November. This rush was explained by the desire to overtake the American spacecraft Apollo-8, whose launch to the Moon was planned for the end of December. The CIA officially warned NASA management about the USSR's readiness for a manned flight around the Moon. In May, the new super-heavy rocket N-1 was installed at the launch site for the first time. The test flight was planned for September, but due to damage to the oxygen tank of the first stage, the rocket had to be returned to the assembly and test complex. On September 15, Soyuz 7K-L1, called Zond-5, was successfully launched. After flying around the Moon, the spacecraft was unable to complete a two-stage reentry into the atmosphere and landed along a ballistic trajectory far from the calculated point. On October 26, the Soyuz-3 orbital ship, piloted by cosmonaut Beregov, launched.


In this first flight after the death of Vladimir Komarov, it was planned to dock with the Soyuz-2 unmanned spacecraft, which had launched the day before. The automatic docking system brought the ships closer to 200 meters, after which the astronaut switched to manual control. However, due to a mistake made in this case and the resulting excessive fuel consumption, the docking had to be abandoned. The landing of both ships was successful.
On November 10, Zond-6 set off for the Moon. If this flight were successfully completed, the next ship would have to take off with a crew on board. After flying around the Moon and a two-stage entry into the atmosphere, the ship began to descend to the USSR design point, but crashed due to the premature separation of the parachute. Later it turned out that the descent module had depressurized while still in space. Despite the risks associated with operating Soyuz-class spacecraft, lunar-trained cosmonauts wrote to the Politburo asking for permission to conduct a manned flight to the Moon in December. They reasoned that having an astronaut on board would increase the likelihood of success. A few days before the launch of Saturn-V - Apollo-8 at Baikonur, the Proton-K - Soyuz 7K-L1 complex was prepared for launch, and on December 8 the cosmonauts were ready for flight, but the high probability of a disaster did not allow the management to make a decision about launching before the Americans. On December 21, 1968, astronauts Borman, Lovell and Anderson launched to the Moon aboard Apollo 8. For the first time, people left near-Earth space. For the first time they did not observe sunsets and sunrises and for the first time they saw the far side of the Moon with their own eyes. After making several orbits in lunar orbit, the spacecraft successfully returned to Earth. The United States won the first stage of the battle for the Moon.
THE FINAL PUSH
After the Apollo-8 mission, the relevance of a manned flight around the Moon within the framework of the Soyuz7K-L1 program disappeared, and the next launch in January was unmanned. During the launch phase, the Proton-K rocket crashed, and the emergency rescue system did not work. This completely cooled interest in the program, which faded into the background. The USSR still had a chance to beat the United States with the first landing of a man on the surface of the Moon. On February 21, 1969, the first launch of the N-1 rocket took place. The purpose of the flight was to launch the Soyuz 7K-L1A unmanned spacecraft (modification 7K-L1) into lunar orbit. However, due to the high-frequency vibrations that arose, the pipelines in the first stage were destroyed. After a fire broke out, damaging the control system, the first stage engines were turned off at the 69th second of flight, and the rocket fell 52 kilometers from the launch.

On July 3, the second launch of the N-1 rocket took place. The changes made to the design of the first stage did not help. Immediately after the start, a foreign metal object entered the fuel pump of one of the engines, after which the pump collapsed and a fire broke out. 23 seconds after launch, a fully fueled rocket struck the launch complex and practically destroyed it. The nearby second launch pad was slightly damaged. It took two years to restore what was destroyed and make new changes to the design of the rocket.
On July 13, the last attempt is made to at least in some way overtake the Americans. Using the Proton-K launch vehicle, the new generation automatic station Luna-15 launched to the Moon, which was supposed to deliver samples of the lunar pound to Earth for the first time. After entering lunar orbit, problems were discovered, however, it was decided to land. But already on July 16, the flight of the American spacecraft Apollo 11 began with a crew consisting of astronauts Armstrong, Collins and Aldrin. The flight program included the first landing of a man on the Moon.

On July 20, 1969, the landing of the Luna 15 automatic station and the lunar module piloted by Armstrong and Aldrin began almost simultaneously. And here again luck was on the side of the Americans: Luna 15 crashed, and the lunar module made a successful landing. Astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the surface of the Moon. Thus, the United States, in all respects, won the eight-year race and restored its prestige. However, work on the Soviet lunar program did not stop there. On August 7, it successfully launched and 5 days later, after flying around and photographing the Moon, the unmanned Zond-7 landed in the Kustanai area. This was the first and only flight under the Soyuz 7K-L1 program, which passed without any comments. Since the landing on the Moon was postponed after the July explosion, it was decided to carry out a manned flyby of the Moon on the Soyuz 7K-L1 spacecraft in 1970, as well as to test the Soyuz 7K-LOK and 7K-T2K spacecraft in unmanned mode in low-Earth orbit. The goals of the N1-LZ program have also changed. Instead of a short stay on the Moon, it was planned to ensure a long-term presence of astronauts on its surface. In this regard, the project became known as N1-LZM.



However, these plans were not destined to come true. New accidents and unsuccessful launches put an end to the Soviet program to conquer the Moon.

July 3, 1969, Baikonur Cosmodrome. In the foreground is the Soviet lunar rocket N-1 (product No. 5L). In the background is a try-on rocket for testing ground launch systems (note that the try-on rocket does not have an escape system).

The closure of the Soviet manned lunar flight program occurred in June 1974, at which time the entire cosmonaut corps was disbanded. The following month, the rockets ready for launch were cut into pieces. The destruction of the technological backlog led to a 15-year lag in the development of astronautics. What is to blame? Why did attempts to get to the moon stop?

It is often said that the industry of the USSR could not create a spacecraft to fly to the Moon, that there was no appropriate technological base. They also say that it was simply impossible to compete with the USA. But the main reason for the failure of the project, which cost 4 billion at 1974 prices. rub., was the inability of various departments to agree among themselves and the personal aspirations of some leaders.

The United States began the lunar program with one goal: to surpass the USSR after the Russians launched the world's first satellite, took pictures of the far side of the Moon, and were the first to launch a man into space. Landing man on the moon was the last chance. To achieve this goal, the best representatives of science were gathered, orders were given to the most suitable corporations in the absence of competition. The USSR usually followed this path.

The Soviet lunar program was just a response to the United States. The Moon itself was not of interest to the leaders of OKB-1 Korolev. But the USA issued a challenge and the USSR accepted it. The N-1 rocket project was a continuation of the existing project, which was developed as a means of delivering a hydrogen bomb and launching large-sized complexes into orbit, many times larger than the later Soyuz, Salyut and Mir.

The implementation of the lunar program was not economically feasible. But the CPSU Central Committee did not abandon it. According to the Government Decree, issued in 1960, it was planned to create a new rocket system for launching a heavy spacecraft weighing up to 60-80 tons into orbit, creating new rocket engines, control systems and space radio communications. In 1964, a new goal was set - a manned flight to the Moon and landing on its surface before the Americans.

The L-1 lunar project became the cause of a fierce struggle between the design bureaus of Korolev and Chelomey. The existing Proton launch vehicle could theoretically make a manned flight around the Moon, but the recollections of participants in the events indicate that Korolev refused to put cosmonauts on a poisonous rocket. The fact is that the fuel for Proton was heptyl, and the oxidizing agent was nitric acid. In Kazakhstan, many poisonings were recorded among local residents who used the first stages of Protons in their households. Official information stated that the use of Proton was abandoned due to too high overloads that the astronauts could not withstand.

A difficult test for the project was the conflict between Korolev and Glushko, as a result of which the latter abandoned the development of an engine for the rocket. The work was transferred to the Kuznetsov design bureau.

It was planned that two astronauts would participate in the lunar project, and only one would descend to the surface of the Moon, while the second was supposed to remain in orbit. The first person to walk on the moon was supposed to be A.A. Leonov, Yu.A. was supposed to act as an understudy. Gagarin. The N-1 launch vehicle was designed to deliver the Soyuz spacecraft with a manned lunar module into lunar orbit.

So why didn't it happen? One of the reasons was austerity. Four N-1 launches were unsuccessful due to the first stage, for which a test stand was not built. Since all first stage engines were tested separately, it was impossible to determine the cause of stage failure.

When it became known that the Americans were about to go to the Moon, Leonov was eager to fly, but he was not allowed in, which saved his life. N-1 launched on February 21, 1969 without a crew, six months before the launch of Apollo 11. The rocket exploded shortly after the flight began. The second attempt was carried out on July 3, 1969. The rocket exploded right on the launch pad, almost completely destroying the launch complex. Even then it became clear that we would not be the first to get to the Moon.

Korolev and Gagarin pass away. These two deaths were tantamount to the death of the Russian cosmonautics. And the point is not that there were no other talented designers and trained cosmonauts. Korolev and Gagarin were members of the Kremlin and their opinions were listened to. Korolev not only argued with anyone, regardless of rank, he knew how to present his project in such a way that the military advocated the need for its implementation. The first satellite was a beacon for ballistic missiles. He convinced the military that building a base on the Moon would allow them to keep the whole world under attack. He kept silent about the almost unaffordable cost of the project for the country. The military jumped at the idea. In addition, the N-1 rocket could launch into orbit stations weighing over 100 tons, such as the Zvezda station, which was conceived for military purposes.

Korolev knew how to use the needs and desires of the military for his own purposes, extracting funds for the implementation of his projects. For Korolev himself, the flight to the Moon was only the first step towards a flight to Mars.

The change of management in the design bureau did not bring anything good. Funding decreased significantly, the test stand was not built. The launch complex was restored, but subsequent attempts to launch the rocket were not successful due to the same reason for the failure of the first stage. And the Americans were already accepting congratulations on the successful landing on the Moon. The Soviet lunar program was curtailed, and Mars was also forgotten.

However, another attempt was made. The hopes of the Russian cosmonautics were pinned on the Energia rocket. The tests were successful. But the rocket was buried under the collapsed roof of the assembly and testing building at Baikonur. This put an end to Russia's plans. The United States has become a leader in space exploration. There is no point in trying to compete with them, spending hundreds of billions on flights.

Russia's leadership in space is a thing of the past due to the winding down of the lunar program and a change in leadership in astronautics. Today's undisputed leader is the United States. But if the country’s leadership had not forgotten Tsiolkovsky’s words that whoever conquered space would rule the world, the situation could have turned out differently.

Who can become the leader of tomorrow? Most likely China. Its space program is quite fantastic, the moon landing project should be completed with the construction of a lunar base by 2021. Many do not believe in the feasibility of this project, but China has already proven that it is capable of very unexpected actions, as evidenced by the ultra-fast growth of its economy.

Photo of the secret lunar program of the USSR

These photographic materials are some of the remaining evidence today that the USSR also tried to land a man on the Moon - obviously, after they failed to do this, or, more precisely, did not have time to do it, the program was forgotten.

However, fortunately, few things disappear irrevocably and without a trace. The photographs that we can see show one of the laboratories of the Moscow Aviation Institute, as well as aerospace equipment, including a spacecraft and a lunar landing module.

The history of the “Moon Race” is well known to many contemporaries: before American President John Kennedy initiated the launch of the Apollo program, the Soviet Union was noticeably ahead of the United States in matters of lunar exploration. In particular, in 1959 the automatic interplanetary station “Luna-2” was delivered to the surface of the Moon, and in 1966 a Soviet satellite entered its orbit.

Like the Americans, Soviet scientists developed a multi-step approach to accomplishing the task. They also had two separate modules for orbit and landing.

While the Apollo 11 crew included three members, the entire burden of the Soviet lunar program had to rest on the shoulders of one cosmonaut - thus, the weight of the equipment was significantly reduced. In addition, there were other differences that made the Soviet apparatus lighter. First of all, these include the comparative simplicity of the design, the use of the same engine for landing and takeoff, as well as the lack of a direct connection between the orbital and lunar module. This meant that the astronaut would need to do a spacewalk to transfer to the lander before landing and, later, to climb back into the orbital module after returning from the Moon. After this, the lunar module was disconnected, and the spacecraft was sent to Earth without it.

The main reason that prevented the Soviet side from landing a man on the Moon was failures with launch vehicles. Although the first two test launches were successful, the rocket crashed during the third. In the fourth test, carried out in 1971, the test spacecraft returned to Earth along the wrong trajectory, ending up in Australian airspace, as a result of which an international scandal could have arisen: Soviet diplomats allegedly had to convince the Australians that the object falling on them was a test spacecraft. the Kosmos-434 module, not a nuclear warhead.

After several failures, the program became too expensive, and after the Americans presented the world with documentary evidence of the success of the Apollo 11 mission, it made no sense at all. As a result, space equipment has become something of a museum piece.

Today is the anniversary of the American landing on the moon. 40 years have passed since this significant event, but controversy still rages over whether it really happened. Meanwhile, the Soviet lunar program is surrounded by a veil of darkness, oblivion and baseless rumors. Many believe that the USSR did not have a lunar program at all. Meanwhile, there was a program, and not even one. The following is a brief popular summary of the two lunar programs of the USSR, whose creation time approximately coincided with the Apollo program.

N1-L3 - Moon landing (1964-1970)

The Lunar Ship (LK) of the N1-L3 program became the device that could be the first to deliver a man to the Moon. This did not happen for various reasons that are not discussed here. Now let's focus on the technical side of the project.

The lunar ship is similar to the lunar module (LM) of the American Apollo, although, of course, it differs from it in many ways. The United States used the Saturn-5 launch vehicle, whose engines ran on cryogenic fuel (hydrogen + oxygen), which made it possible to deliver 30% more cargo to the Moon than the N1, which ran on kerosene + oxygen, i.e. less efficient fuel.

Because of this, it was necessary to save on the LM (the mass of the orbital part could not be reduced): it was three times lighter than the American LM. Therefore, the crew of the lunar ship was limited to one person. In addition, there was no transition compartment between the lunar orbital vehicle and the lunar spacecraft: to move from one vehicle to another it was necessary to go into outer space.

Another difference: on Apollo, a separate braking unit was used for a soft landing; on the lunar spacecraft, it was combined with a remote control, which ensured launch from the Moon. The lunar ship consisted of four different modules. The first was called the “lunar landing device” (LPU). It was supposed to provide a soft landing on the Moon and be used as a launch pad during takeoff. The second compartment was supposed to ensure the launch from the Moon and the launch of the ship into lunar orbit. The third module, the lunar cabin, was intended to accommodate the astronaut. For precise orientation, a special orientation engine module was used.

Program overview.

On August 3, 1964, the CPSU Central Committee sets a goal for Chief Designer Korolev to land one Soviet cosmonaut on the Moon before the United States delivers its own astronaut to the Moon.

In September 1964, work began on this project. The first option provided for the launch of three super-heavy N1 launch vehicles, which would launch components of the lunar spacecraft into low-Earth orbit. The first module of the spacecraft, weighing 138 tons, was an upper stage. The Moon was reached by a 40-ton module, which, after making several trajectory corrections along the way, was immediately launched to the desired point on the lunar disk for a direct landing.

The safety of the selected location had to be confirmed by the operation of the lunar rover according to the L2 program, which was previously launched to the selected point and carried out detailed studies of the landing site. The Lunokhod was also supposed to be used as a radio beacon for precise orientation of the lunar ship of the L3 program.

So, the 40-ton vehicle was approaching the Moon, at an altitude of 300-400 km the braking engine was turned on, which ensured a soft landing of the LC, whose mass on the surface would be 21 tons. After a 10-day stay on the lunar surface, the cosmonauts in the Soyuz left the Moon and returned to Earth (according to the scheme that was used for L1). The crew consisted of three people. After some time, it becomes clear that although this option is relatively simple, its cost will be prohibitively high. To reduce it, the L3 project is completely changed: it is cheaper and faster to create what the Americans have already begun to implement under the Apollo project: a complex consisting of an orbital part and a landing vehicle.

Now the L3 project takes on the form that practically does not change until the closure of the lunar program. Compared to the previous scheme (with direct landing without separation into orbital and landing modules), the new version differed favorably in its mass. Now one launch of the N1 was enough, although for this it was necessary to increase its payload capacity by 25 tons, which was achieved by reducing the intermediate orbit from 300 to 220 km, increasing the mass of the first stage by 25% (by 350 tons), and stronger cooling of the fuel components ( kerosene and oxygen), an increase in engine thrust at all stages by 2% and a decrease in orbital inclination from 65° to 51.8°). The 91.5-ton L3 complex would be launched into an intermediate low-Earth orbit with an altitude of 220 km and an inclination of 51.8 °. The device could remain here for up to 1 day, during which final preparations were made.

By turning on the upper stage, a 21-ton apparatus was launched to the Moon, which reached it in 3.5 days. During this time, block D was switched on briefly to correct the trajectory. Block D was then turned on near the Moon, transferring the entire apparatus into a lunar orbit at an altitude of 110 km. With its second inclusion near the Moon, migrations (the point of minimum distance from its surface) decreased to 14 km. This unit could be launched for possible orbital adjustments several more times over the course of 4 days.

After this, the pilot of the lunar ship went into outer space, checked the serviceability of all external systems and went into the landing vehicle (there was no direct hatch from the orbital module into this compartment). Block D, connected to the landing stage, was disconnected from the lunar orbiter. Block D was used for the last time: it would reduce the vertical speed to 100 m/s, the height above the surface at this moment is 4 km, after which it separates and falls to the Moon. At an altitude of 3 km, the radar altimeter is turned on, which controls the soft landing engine of block E, which was turned on at the same altitude and ensures a smooth contact with the surface.

The fuel supply allowed it to “hover” over the Moon for 50 seconds, at which point the pilot had to make the final decision: to land or not. The choice depended on what kind of relief would be at the intended landing site. If it was unsuitable (for example, filled with large rocks), the astronaut could return to the orbiter and then to Earth, or choose a new point located no more than a few hundred meters from the originally selected location. After landing, the cosmonaut goes to the surface, plants the flag of the Soviet Union on it, takes soil samples and returns to the lunar ship. After a relatively short stay on the Moon (from 6 to 24 hours), part of the LC (LPU - lunar landing device) remains on the surface, and the lunar cabin, after turning on block E, launches from the Moon and docks with the lunar orbital ship. The astronaut again goes into outer space, this time with samples of lunar soil and goes into the orbital vehicle (well, there is no transfer hatch, what can you do about it). The lunar cabin is thrown away.

The ship remains in lunar orbit for about one more day, after which the propulsion system is turned on, transferring the vehicle to the trajectory of return to Earth. During the 3.5 days of flight, two trajectory corrections are carried out to ensure the required angle of entry into the atmosphere. Immediately before the entrance, two astronauts move into the descent vehicle, which flies over the south pole and slows down its speed in the atmosphere from 11 km/s to 7.5 km/s, after which it “jumps” back into space and re-enters the landing after several thousand km. , already over the territory of the USSR.

Working out the LC

After the design of the lunar ship was developed, testing of its individual components had to begin, after which it was possible to create a working version of the lunar ship. Stands were made that made it possible to test individual components under conditions of vacuum, strong vibration, etc. Some parts had to be tested in space.

The following LC mock-ups and test benches were created:

• 
  A full-scale mock-up (by the way, this is the first mock-up of the spacecraft in general) for testing access to the lunar surface and into outer space.
• Electric stand. It was used to test the electronics of the spacecraft and the control logic that was supposed to guide the ship near the Moon.
• Electrical layout. It was used to test the placement of electronics on the LC itself.
• Test bench of block E for testing its operation in various conditions.
• Breadboard for testing the antenna.
• Three layouts of block E.
• Landing simulators on which astronauts trained. These included various stands, a specially converted Mi-4 helicopter, etc.

Flight tests of the LC

To practice maneuvers that were to be carried out in lunar orbit, versions of the LOK-LK (lunar orbital ship - lunar ship) complex were developed: T1K and T2K. The first was launched by the Soyuz LV, the second by the Proton LV. During their launches, more than 20 different systems were tested (for example, solar and star sensors of attitude control systems), which were supposed to be used in the lunar program.

During the flights of the T1K vehicles, propulsion systems were tested. The T2K devices were manufactured in quantities of 3 and had the following purposes: during the first flight the propulsion system was tested, during the second flight various emergency situations were simulated, and the third launch was planned to duplicate some tests that might not have been carried out during the first two flights.

The T2K devices were still manufactured with delays; during pre-launch tests at Baikonur, ten microscopic holes were discovered in the first ship, which would have led to the depressurization of the device, but these faults were minor and could be eliminated quickly. The first T2K launched in November 1970, followed by the next two ships. Previously, the program for these test flights was carefully developed; after each maneuver, the resulting telemetry was carefully studied, which made it possible to successfully carry out flights of the devices under this program.

Below is a chronicle of launches:

11/24/1970 - T2K (s/n 1).
Cosmos 379. The device was initially launched into an orbit with an altitude of 233x192 km, after which it was transferred to an orbit with parameters of 196 km x 1206 km by increasing its speed by 263 m/s. This maneuver simulated the operation of block D, which transferred the lunar ship from an orbit of 188 km x 1198 km to an orbit of 177 km x 14 km.

02/26/1971 - T2K (s/n 2).
Cosmos 398. Second test flight of the lunar program. The device was launched into an orbit with an altitude of 189 km x 252 km, after which, during several maneuvers, it moved into an orbit with parameters of 200 km x 10905 km.

08/12/1971 - T2K (s/n 3).
Cosmos 434. The last flight of the T2K series apparatus. The device was launched into an orbit with an altitude of 188 km x 267 km, after which, during several maneuvers, it moved into an orbit with parameters of 180 km x 11384 km.

Death of the lunar ship

The N1-L3 lunar program gradually lost its relevance and significance. This project could not ensure the leadership of the Soviet Union in space, however, there were other reasons for this. It was planned for the Zvezda program to develop a modification of the lunar ship that could deliver not one, but two people to the Moons. However, it turned out that with the mass of the LC being 5500 kg, this was impossible to do. To implement such an idea, it is necessary to create a lunar apparatus completely new.

With the death of Korolev and Yangel, the country is losing outstanding designers capable of completing the program to the end. It ends as quietly as it began: the public learns about the existence of lunar programs in the USSR only in the late 80s. Despite the presence of a lot of other similar programs in our country, only N1-L3 reached the implementation phase, without reaching the end. All that remains of it are models of the lunar spacecraft in the MAI museums (Moscow and St. Petersburg), in the NPO Energia (Korolev) and in the Yuzhnoye design bureau (Dnepropetrovsk).

LK-700 - Moon landing (1964)

Korolev was not the only creator of lunar ships. Vladimir Chelomey, an equally famous designer, begins to create an alternative project. He proposed creating a launch vehicle UR-700, which was capable of launching 50 tons of cargo into a flight path to the Moon: a spacecraft with a crew of two people.

He felt the main danger of the N1-L3 project, which Korolev was developing. In it, the entire expedition consisted of several stages: the spacecraft was launched into an intermediate low-Earth orbit, from which it was sent towards the Moon, where it decelerated and entered the orbit of its artificial satellite. After this, the landing module was undocked from the orbital compartment, which landed on the Moon; after some stay on its surface, it took off, docked with the orbital compartment, where the crew moved, after which the lunar module was disconnected, and the astronauts returned in the orbital vehicle, from which just before reaching The descent module with people was separated from the earth, going home.

This scheme was implemented by the Americans during the Apollo program. But such a scheme was quite complex for that time. The spacecraft might not enter lunar orbit, and the landing module might not dock with the orbital compartment. Now docking in space seems like something commonplace, but in the 60s, methods for bringing spacecraft together were just being worked out. Due to the imperfection of the spacecraft during the flight to test rendezvous and docking, Komarov died (during landing), and the Soviet space program fell behind by several years.

For these reasons, a direct landing on the Moon made a lot of sense at the time. The spacecraft was launched onto a direct hit trajectory at the desired point on our satellite, and landed without any complicated operations. This scheme was less effective, but it was simpler and, therefore, more reliable. There were other advantages too. Now it was possible to land at almost any point on the visible disk of the Moon (more precisely, on 88% of the lunar surface), in contrast to projects using lunar orbiters, which imposed restrictions on the choice of landing site by the inclination of their orbit.

Chelomey creates the UR700-LK700 project, consisting of a powerful heavy launch vehicle and a lunar ship. Its main points were the following facts: long-stored components (hydrazine/nitrogen tetroxide) were used as a fuel/oxidizer, the entire system had to be as simple (and reliable) as possible, the development of the launch vehicle had to be built using already proven technologies. The chosen type of trajectory made it possible to significantly expand the “launch windows” during which the launch could be carried out. In addition, the lunar module in Korolev’s project could dock with the orbital vehicle only if it launched from the Moon at a strictly defined time, deviation from which could be catastrophic. Chelomey's project had no such drawback.

The rocket could be assembled at the cosmodrome from parts delivered by rail (unlike the huge H1 assembled in Baikonur), which somewhat reduced the cost of the project. The crew would consist of two astronauts. Since the launch vehicle could be constantly improved, it was possible in the future to increase the crew to 3 people. For increased reliability, most of the systems were duplicated, and at the launch site an emergency rescue system was used, which managed to remove the capsule with astronauts in the event of destruction or other malfunctions of the launch vehicle. A notable aspect of the project was that the UR-700 could be used for many other purposes, for example, for launching orbital station components into low-Earth orbit. Do not forget that today's "workhorse" of Russia, "Proton", is Chelomeev's UR-500, i.e. from the same series as the UR-700. Maybe if this project had been implemented, we would now have a unique medium.

But let's return to the lunar topic. The mass of the LK-700 lunar ship in a near-Earth intermediate orbit at an altitude of 200 km would be 151 tons. At this moment its total length would be 21.2 meters. The LK-700 itself would consist of several parts. The first part is the upper stage, which ensured the launch of the entire complex to the Moon; its mass would be 101 tons. The second part provided braking near the Moon, providing almost zero speed at an altitude of several kilometers above the Moon. The mass of the braking part was 37.5 tons. The third part was the landing apparatus itself, which landed on the surface.

Due to the special structure of the lunar compartment, six long, unique skis were used as supports. This made it possible to land with high vertical (up to 5 m/s) and horizontal speeds (up to 2 m/s) on a surface with an inclination of up to 15 degrees. After contact with the Moon, the landing module was leveled: each support had an electric motor, which ensured the desired alignment.

After working on the surface, the spacecraft (weighing already 9.3 tons) with the crew was launched into an intermediate lunar orbit or onto a direct return trajectory. Landing on Earth was carried out in the same way as in the L1 or Apollo projects. The device entered the Earth's atmosphere at the second cosmic speed (11 km/s) over Antarctica, “jumped” out of the atmosphere and re-entered it in a given area of ​​the Soviet Union. The descent vehicle would weigh 1.5-2 tons.

The UR-700-LK700 project was presented on November 16, 1966 to the commission headed by Keldysh as an alternative to the N1-L3 project, which was led by Korolev and Mishin. And although Glushko supported Chelomey, and not Korolev, who, unfortunately, was dying at this time, nevertheless, the N1-L3 project remains more important than the UR-700. In general, it was planned to carry out five flights of the UR-700/LK-700; after two unmanned ones, three manned expeditions were to follow. It was assumed that when funding began in 1968, in the second quarter of 1969, cosmonauts would begin training under this program; in 1970, the design of a prototype lunar ship would be completed, testing of which would be completed by 1971; in November of the same year, the first LK-700 (lunar module) and UR-700 (launch vehicle) would be ready. In May 1972, the first unmanned launch could take place, the second unmanned flight was planned to take place in November of the same year, a possible third - in April 1973. In the same month, the first manned flight was already possible, which was planned to be repeated in August and October of the same year. If the project had been opened, say, in 1961, then perhaps we would have been ahead of the Americans.

taken from http://kuasar.narod.ru

Why didn't we end up on the moon? Most often you can hear about the imperfection of the technological base of Soviet industry, which was unable to create a rocket and spacecraft for the lunar project. It was reported that the Soviet Union was doomed to lose to the United States in the lunar race. But this is not entirely true. The main reason for the failure of the most expensive space project (4 billion rubles in 1974 prices) was the inconsistency of the actions of various departments and the ambitions of a number of leaders of that period.

Why did we need the Moon?

In reality, the Soviet lunar program was a symmetrical response to the American lunar program. The leaders of OKB-1 were absolutely not interested in the moon. Korolev and the N-1 rocket project were a modernized version of an earlier royal project. Intended for the delivery of a hydrogen super-bomb and for the launch of large-sized orbital complexes, the dimensions of which were supposed to be several times larger than the Soyuz and Mir that appeared later. It was completely unfeasible to implement the lunar program.

But the CPSU Central Committee decided to accept the Americans' challenge. In 1960, a decree was issued by the Government Decree of June 23, 1960 “On the creation of powerful launch vehicles, satellites, spacecraft and space exploration in 1960-1967.” was planned to take place in the 1960s. design development and the necessary amount of research in order to create in the coming years a new space rocket system with a launch mass of 1000-2000 tons, ensuring the launch of heavy interplanetary spacecraft into orbit around the Earth