I agree with the bulk of this and particularly that they could have beaten 8 to a manned circumlunar mission. However, I think there are two crux issues this posts skips. One, ironically, the Soviets had competition in their program whereas NASA had a command monopoly. Two, and more to the technical points discussed here, the root failure was in Glushko and Korolev’s personal dispute and the resulting failure to develop a cryogenic hydrogen motor.
I think the Glushko Korolev dispute is overstated as a cause of failure, (and I know few agree with me!)
Here's my reasoning.
Korolev wanted BIG nontoxic fuel engines. Glushko wanted fairly small toxic propellant engines. One of his attempts to take over the N1 project said exactly that - the engines were less efficient , and there were even more of them.
When Glushko finally got to build his big rocket, (Energia / Vulkan) look how long it took him to make the engines work! And that was with a decade more experience. If he had tried to build the big engines Korolev wanted, I find it difficult to believe the engines would have been ready before 1975.
And if Glushko got his way, there would have been even more engines on the N1
Nick - you must be psychic! I'm reading the chapter that talks about the UR-500 developement in Dr. Saddiqi's book. So I read your latest installment with great interest. Thanks!
I agree with the bulk of this and particularly that they could have beaten 8 to a manned circumlunar mission. However, I think there are two crux issues this posts skips. One, ironically, the Soviets had competition in their program whereas NASA had a command monopoly. Two, and more to the technical points discussed here, the root failure was in Glushko and Korolev’s personal dispute and the resulting failure to develop a cryogenic hydrogen motor.
I think the Glushko Korolev dispute is overstated as a cause of failure, (and I know few agree with me!)
Here's my reasoning.
Korolev wanted BIG nontoxic fuel engines. Glushko wanted fairly small toxic propellant engines. One of his attempts to take over the N1 project said exactly that - the engines were less efficient , and there were even more of them.
When Glushko finally got to build his big rocket, (Energia / Vulkan) look how long it took him to make the engines work! And that was with a decade more experience. If he had tried to build the big engines Korolev wanted, I find it difficult to believe the engines would have been ready before 1975.
And if Glushko got his way, there would have been even more engines on the N1
Basically I think they were both wrong.
I should add I enjoyed it and I don’t mean this as a criticism
Absolute wonderful article Nick! One of your best ones so far, to be honest.
Thanks - I rarely write opinion type pieces, more usually I share new info. Maybe I should do more like this?
N-11! Wow, that is something new to me! That would be a great modeling project.
The only good reference is for the 1972 version, otherwise you're basically just taking the top bit of an N1
Nick - you must be psychic! I'm reading the chapter that talks about the UR-500 developement in Dr. Saddiqi's book. So I read your latest installment with great interest. Thanks!