N1 Relics, Laika & LOK.

Notes on sources, accuracy, and some cool nuggets of info.

Cleaning the air in the Lunar Vehicles.

An excellent technical blog post by Valentin Pechorin, who personally worked on the atmosphere systems for the LK and LOK lunar craft. Computer translation is built into the link.

Valentin Pechorin Blog Post

Includes details of fire testing, learning lessons from Apollo 1.

Sputnik 2

The Russian archive RGANTD recently released some new images & information from the Sputnik 2 project. The second Soviet satellite also caused a huge stir, as they went directly from a simple bleeping canister to launching a live dog. The expectation was clear, they were planning to put a person in orbit.

The images have been reduced in size, click for a larger version.

Sputnik 2 diagram, with computer translated captions.

Sputnik 2 illustration from the Soviet Period.

Another period document, my computer translation failed on this typeface.

On the Accuracy of my N1 data.

Many people are surprised at the claims of accuracy I make for my digital models & renders. My primary sources are Alexander Schliadinsky & Vladimir Antipov. When perestroika came, together they visited Baikonur and the surrounding area, to see what they could uncover about the N-1.

Here’s Alex climbing through the wreckage, taking notes and measurements.

And here’s Vladimir with a ruined engine, at a crash site.

So many of the elements have been examined carefully. And of course, there was a lot of other research, quite apart from this. Alex describes his hunt for information in the first edition of “N1 for the Moon and Mars”.

And Alex also has access to items at the Moscow Aviation Institute, like this strength model of the N1:

Strength model of the N1

If you have yet to buy a copy, my N-1 modellers reference is still available, and still has 100% 5* ratings! Also of interest to the space historian.

https://starbase1.gumroad.com/l/N1-Reference

Relics from around Baikonur

When the N1 program was cancelled, there were many N1 rockets in various stages of completion. The N1-8L was ready to launch, & had been rolled out to the launch position for a fuelling test. But with the cancellation, the hardware was discarded, and much of it ended up repurposed around Baikonur. Vladimir took many photos of this hardware, and of course it too was carefully measured wherever possible. All photos © Vladimir Antipov.

Relics - A chunk on N-1 rocket hull.

This leads to the bizarre situation that in some ways the rockets they tried to destroy are the best documented.

Half a Block A tank converted into a summer house! Note the heat shield on top!

A bracket from the first interstage. Exact location on the rocket is uncertain.

Sections of L3 fairing, mounted on interstage sections.

Grid fins converted to a shelter.

Recommended Substack:

If you are interested in the history of exploring the Moon, I think you will enjoy Dave Ginsberg’s Creating Space Substack. The link below connects to his excellent piece on the evolution of the USA Lunar Module.

The Incredible Shrinking Moon Lander

This Editions Great Link, & Photo.

I don’t cover the Soviet Buran shuttle much, because it is very well covered elsewhere. And nowhere better than the Buran Archive. Loads of photos, some well known, some very obscure indeed.

http://www.buranarchive.space/

As an example, a picture from this archive is the editions great photo:

That’s all folks!