How was the landing on the moon covered in the USSR? Soviet lunar programs N1 l3 Soviet lunar program

In a previous article about the film “Apollo 18”, the Soviet lunar module “Progress” was mentioned. According to the description of the film, it was on it that the only Soviet cosmonaut arrived on the Moon before the Americans (or a little later) and died heroically, fighting for his life against an alien threat.

In fact, the Soviet module is an almost exact copy of the L3 project, the development of which has been carried out since 1963, and the name “Progress” was then assigned not to it, but to the new rocket launcher. In principle, in the context of the film, such details do not matter and we must pay tribute to our American colleagues in the cinema - L3 was executed simply “excellently”. Therefore, we need to talk about this design in more detail.

So, as mentioned earlier, the development of the L3 lunar landing module began in 1963, almost simultaneously with the deployment of the Soyuz program. It was they who were supposed to deliver Soviet cosmonauts to the Moon, but they failed to complete this work. As a result, Soyuz became famous as a means of delivering the most cosmonauts. different countries into low-Earth orbit. As for the lunar landing module L3, its fate was as follows.

Due to the lack of a carrier suitable for power, engineers had to limit themselves to a layout designed for only one cosmonaut. Compare the sizes of the Soviet and American lunar modules (figure).

Structurally, L3 (also called LK - lunar ship) consisted of two sections:

– lunar cabin: the astronaut’s chair was located at the rear wall, controls were located on the right and left, and a large round porthole was made in the center;
– instrument module: it was disk-shaped and housed a control system, radio equipment, a power management system and equipment for docking.

The bottleneck of the LC, not counting its modest dimensions, was the impossibility of a direct transfer of the astronaut from the LOK (the lunar orbital ship that was supposed to deliver the expedition). In other words, the scheme of actions after entering low-Earth orbit was presented as follows.

The cosmonauts put on different types of spacesuits (LOK pilot – “Orlan”, LK pilot – “Krechet-94”) and move to the living compartment, which is later used as an airlock.

Next, the LC pilot, using the handrails, moves along the outer surface of the LC to his ship. For greater convenience, both hatches were placed opposite each other. After this, the LC is separated from the LOC and descends to the surface of the Moon.

At an altitude of 16 km, the braking engines are turned on, and at an altitude of 3-4 km, the upper stage “D” is separated from the module, after which the LC performs a “dead loop”.

Such tricks were necessary so that the landing radar of the lunar ship would not mistake the separated block “D” for the lunar surface and the automatic activation of the rocket block “E” would not work ahead of time. The landing itself was carried out by the LK pilot himself, who had to use both automatic and manual control systems.

After resting and checking the operation of the equipment, the astronaut went out to the lunar surface to collect samples. The Krechet-94 spacesuit was designed for 4 hours of autonomous stay on the Moon. During this time, the astronaut had to install scientific instruments on the Moon and national flag USSR, collect samples of lunar soil, conduct a television report, photograph and film the landing area.

After spending no more than 24 hours on the Moon, the astronaut had to leave the planet. At the start, both engines of block “E” were turned on, and in the case of normal operation, one of them was subsequently turned off. Then the LC entered lunar orbit and, using the Contact system, docked with the LOK. Further, all the astronaut’s actions were carried out in the reverse order, as before the descent to the Moon. The return journey to Earth should have taken no more than 3.5 days, and the total duration of the expedition was calculated at 11-12 days.

As we see, American filmmakers were right in many ways. The LK module landed in a crater on the sunny side and the Soviet cosmonaut, apparently, completed the main part of the program for staying on the lunar surface. By the way, not only the LC itself was successfully reproduced, but also the “Krechet-94” spacesuit.

For a more detailed study of this topic, there is a separate article “Spacesuits for the Soviet lunar program” (PDF format). Now all that remains from this epoch-making program are the modules for bench tests and one of the samples of the Krechet-94 spacesuit. The latter, moreover, is a museum exhibit, which cannot be said about the LC module.

Towards the end of the story about the Soviet lunar module LK - a few frames from the film “Apollo 18”. Let's watch, evaluate, enjoy...

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 United States 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 to launch a heavy spacecraft weighing up to 60-80 tons into orbit, create 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 could not 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 images 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, conducted in 1971, the test spacecraft returned to Earth on the wrong trajectory, ending up in airspace Australia, as a result of which an international scandal could arise: Soviet diplomats allegedly had to convince the Australians that the object falling on them was the Cosmos-434 test space module, and 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.

The Moon landing was broadcast live all over the world, with the exception of the USSR and China. There is a widespread legend, which was outlined by the Soviet journalist and popularizer of science Yaroslav Golovanov in his book “The Truth about the Apollo Program.” He wrote: “Late in the evening of July 21, 1969, on Central Television, if my memory serves me right, they showed the comedy film “The Pig Farmer and the Shepherd.” At this time, all of humanity, with bated breath, watched the first landing of earthlings on the Moon. We then showed disrespect not for the astronauts, not for the country that sent them, but for ourselves...” But at this moment, 5:56 am Moscow time, the USSR Central Television was not broadcasting at all. At that time, the broadcast did not start until 8 am.

The take-off stage of the lunar cabin with two astronauts on board launched from the surface of the Moon.

This happened at 20:54. Moscow time. After entering the lunar orbit and maneuvering, the cabin must move to the orbit of the main module of Apollo 11 and dock with it.

At 15:11 Washington time on Sunday, July 20, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin separated the lunar compartment from the command compartment, in which Michael Collins remained, and began an independent flight.

After about 56 minutes, they turned on the deceleration engine and moved the lunar compartment onto a trajectory towards the landing site. One of the most important phases of the Apollo 11 flight program has begun.

Even looking at the TV screen, you can feel the tension engulfing the space center in Houston. The lunar compartment is rapidly descending. At first he flies as if on his stomach, with his steel spider legs forward. The astronauts lie face down in their niche. Then the cabin gradually assumes a horizontal position. The astronauts report that everything is going well on board. The connection with them never stops. Armstrong's distant voice is heard:

- We are descending according to plan. 20 kilometers to the surface of the Moon... 18... 15...

There are a few minutes left before landing.

- A thousand feet! - exclaims the controller at the command post in Houston. - 1500 feet!.. 100 feet!..

“40 feet left,” Armstrong reports from the lunar compartment. - The engine raises clouds of dust from the surface of the Moon. We see our own shadow.

How will the Moon meet them? Will the lunar cabin fall on its side? Instruments in Houston record the astronauts' pulse: Aldrin's is 130 beats per minute, Armstrong's is 150.

- The engine is off! - Armstrong's visibly excited voice can be heard. - Let's sit down!

There is a pause. The clock hand shows a quarter past five (Washington time).

- Hello, Houston! This is the Sea of ​​Tranquility base speaking. "Eagle" (code name for the lunar compartment) has landed!

“You made everyone in Houston turn green with excitement,” they answer from Earth. - Now we have taken a breath. Let me tell you that everyone here now has smiles on their faces.

“Keep in mind, there are also two smiles on the moon,” Armstrong jokes.

“Don’t forget another one in space,” comes the voice of Michael Collins from the command compartment cockpit. Collins asks that you inform him about everything that happens in the landing area.

The Eagle landed about four miles from its intended target in the southwestern part of the Sea of ​​Tranquility. Judging by the further stories of the astronauts, the landing was not easy.

“We descended directly onto a crater the size of a football field,” Armstrong reported 5 minutes after landing. “There were a lot of huge stones around.” I had to switch to manual control to select another landing site.

A few minutes later, looking out the window, Aldrin gave the first description of the area in which the lunar compartment landed:

- There is a whole collection of gray stones of various shapes around. There are so many stones here!

Standing at another window, Armstrong continued to describe the landing area:

- It is a relatively flat surface with many craters ranging from 5 to 50 feet in diameter. A series of rock ridges 20-30 feet high. Thousands of small craters 1-2 feet in diameter. Directly in front of us are several 2 foot high shafts. There is a hill in the distance. It could be half a mile or a mile away.

At the request of the astronauts, the Houston Space Center agreed to shorten their rest time and allowed them to leave the lunar compartment on the lunar surface several hours earlier than planned.

Late in the evening Washington time (in Moscow it was early morning on July 21), the cosmonauts began depressurizing the cabin. Instead of the 15 minutes planned, it took more than an hour. On the radio, Armstrong and Aldrin could be heard talking to each other, inspecting and testing on each other the space suits, pressure helmets and life support systems that fit in the backpack on their backs. Finally, Armstrong’s voice is heard:

- Ready to go to the surface.

The cabin hatch opens, but the astronauts are in no hurry. They need to get comfortable. A minute passes, then another.

“I’m starting to leave,” Armstrong reports.

Aldrin helps him crawl on his knees to the hatch. The astronaut begins a slow, careful descent along a 9-step staircase to the surface of the Moon. On the way down, he opens another hatch that stores tools, plastic bags for lunar soil, a special shovel for working on soil, and a television camera. Edwin Aldrin turns on the camera from inside the cabin, and an image transmitted from the Moon appears on the TV screen. At first it's hard to make anything out. Then we realize that we see the lunar surface and the stairs of the lunar cabin. The image is not very clear, as if in a fog.

Suddenly we see a man's foot step on the step. Here's the second leg. Armstrong descends, facing the cockpit. At the last step he stops and “tests” the ground with his left foot. Now he is already standing on the lunar surface, without taking his right hand off the ladder.

He takes the first step, a small step, cautious and uncertain.

The right hand is still on the stairs. But the first step has been taken. And we hear the words of the astronaut, the first words of a man on the moon:

- One small step of a person is a huge step of humanity.

Armstrong steps away from the cockpit. His movements resemble those of a diver on the seabed. And he himself in his spacesuit looks like a diver. There is a rope behind him, held by Aldrin, who remains in the cabin. This is in case of surprises.

“I don’t have any difficulty in moving,” the astronaut reports. “It’s even easier here than during training on Earth.”

His first task on the lunar surface after "gaining confidence" is to take a sample of lunar soil. He takes it with a special spatula, we see how he puts it in a plastic bag and puts it in a pocket sewn above the knee of his left leg. His movements become more confident and faster. He goes further and further and finally disappears beyond the frame of the television screen.

Suddenly he appears on the screen again, and the audience on Earth cannot contain their exclamation of surprise: he is running. But not the way they run on Earth. This is how movies run in slow motion on the screen. He takes another bag for soil samples from the storage hatch and again goes beyond the screen frame.

Edwin Aldrin appears from the cockpit hatch. He descends more confidently than his predecessor. Once again the audience gasps in amazement as Aldrin jumps off the last two steps.

He immediately climbs the stairs and jumps again.

Now there are two astronauts on the TV screen. Armstrong jumps twice in place and even tries to sit down, but the suit interferes with him.

Aldrin walks around the lunar cabin, inspects it and reports to Earth that he found no damage.

Armstrong removes the television camera from its socket in the storage hatch, carries it a few meters from the cabin and installs it on a tripod. Now we see the entire lunar cabin, the close, uneven lunar horizon. All around is a lifeless, kind of pockmarked desert, all covered in pockmarked craters. Large boulders and stone ridges are visible, which Armstrong spoke about immediately after landing.

The astronauts worked on the surface of the Moon for several hours. They installed a laser-radar reflector to measure the distance between the Earth and the Moon and study irregularities in the Earth's rotation. They spread a sheet of aluminum foil to detect traces of “noble gases” - helium, argon, neon, and conducted other scientific experiments.

Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins successfully completed the tasks of the first half of their mission. Their courage is admirable.

The commander of Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong, blue-eyed, with a youthful haircut and a shy smile, according to everyone who knows him, has an enviable composure, restraint and quick reaction.

This silent and somewhat phlegmatic civilian test pilot had already twice during his stay in the cosmonaut corps successfully emerged from very dangerous situations. In March 1966, he managed to prevent the disaster of the Gemini 8 spacecraft, which he commanded. This happened during an attempt to dock the ship with one of the stages of the launch vehicle. The flight then had to be aborted, and Armstrong safely landed Gemini 8 in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Last year, Armstrong flew in a simulator. Suddenly he began to spin and fall. Armstrong managed to bail out.

He is a native of the small town of Wapakoneta in Ohio (about 7 thousand inhabitants). At age 16, before he could even drive a car, Neil Armstrong received his airplane license. To be able to pay $9 an hour for training at a private flying club, Neil worked as a delivery boy at a pharmacy. Since then, for the rest of his life he connected himself with the air, and then with space.

They say about Edwin Aldrin that his brain is like an electronic computer. Before becoming an astronaut, Aldrin successfully graduated from the famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States and defended his dissertation, the topic of which was the docking of ships in space. In November 1966, he was a member of the crew of the Geminai 12 spacecraft, leaving the ship into outer space.

Michael Collins, a sociable and cheerful person, is also no stranger to space. He piloted the Gemini 10 spacecraft, which orbited the Earth 43 times in July 1966. Collins was scheduled to fly with Borman on Apollo 8 last December, but fell ill and was replaced. He underwent two major spinal surgeries and, through willpower, returned to the astronaut family.

When you read about them in local magazines, see a movie made about them, you notice that these people are very similar to Soviet cosmonauts. They are also simple and sociable. They are also courageous and dedicated to their cause - the conquest of space.

...Now, the astronauts are resting inside the lunar cabin. Tomorrow is an equally busy day.

Also on the last page of Pravda, under the heading “The First Lunar Expedition,” an interview with geochemist A.P. was published. Vinogradov to a newspaper correspondent.

In addition, congratulatory statements from Soviet officials, scientists and cosmonauts addressed to the Americans were printed.

Viktor Frank spoke about the coverage of the lunar landing in the Soviet media on July 27, 1969 on Radio Liberty. He said: "Earthlings on the Moon." Under this headline, Pravda reported last Tuesday about the brilliant landing of American astronauts. I think that I was not the only one who was pleased with the attitude of the body of the CPSU Central Committee to achieve the Americans. And what’s especially good is that the editors of Pravda called the American cosmonauts “earthlings,” that is, they presented them not as citizens of a state with which they have Soviet Union, to put it mildly, their own special scores, but as fellow citizens on planet Earth. It’s unlikely that I can be accused of excessive causticism if I express the assumption that if it were not American but Soviet cosmonauts who landed on the Moon first, then Pravda would hardly call them “earthlings.”

A good description of Soviet publications about the lunar expedition was given by comrade S.P. Korolev, Soviet space designer V.P. Mishin in his brochure “Why didn’t we fly to the Moon?”, published in 1990. He wrote that “the US successes in landing American astronauts on the surface of the Moon were illuminated by our means mass media clearly one-sided and insufficient. Silent real facts, we presented the state of affairs in such a way that work on a manned flight to the Moon had not been carried out in the USSR and our efforts were focused only on its research using automatic spacecraft. Moreover, we even began to assert that in the study of the Moon it is possible to get by only with automatic devices, that there is nothing for a person to do on the Moon.”

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The Moon was destined to become the celestial body with which perhaps the most effective and impressive successes of humanity outside the Earth are associated. The direct study of our planet’s natural satellite began with the start of the Soviet lunar program. On January 2, 1959, the Luna-1 automatic station flew to the Moon for the first time in history.

The first launch of a satellite to the Moon (Luna-1) was a huge breakthrough in the field of space exploration, but the main goal, the flight from one celestial body to another, was never achieved. The launch of Luna-1 provided a lot of scientific and practical information in the field of space flights to other celestial bodies. During the flight of Luna-1, the second escape velocity was achieved for the first time and information was obtained about the Earth's radiation belt and outer space. In the world press, the Luna-1 spacecraft was called “Dream”.

All this was taken into account when launching the next satellite, Luna-2. In principle, Luna-2 almost completely repeated its predecessor Luna-1; the same scientific instruments and equipment made it possible to fill in data on interplanetary space and correct the data obtained by Luna-1. For the launch, the 8K72 Luna launch vehicle with the “E” block was also used. On September 12, 1959, at 6:39 a.m., the Luna-2 spacecraft was launched from the Baikonur RN Luna cosmodrome. And already on September 14 at 00 hours 02 minutes 24 seconds Moscow time, Luna-2 reached the surface of the Moon, making the first flight in history from the Earth to the Moon.

The automatic interplanetary probe reached the surface of the Moon east of the “Sea of ​​Clarity”, near the craters Aristil, Archimedes and Autolycus (selenographic latitude +30°, longitude 0°). As data processing based on orbital parameters shows, the last stage of the rocket also reached the lunar surface. Three symbolic pennants were placed on board Luna 2: two in the automatic interplanetary vehicle and one in the last stage of the rocket with the inscription “USSR September 1959”. Inside Luna 2 there was a metal ball consisting of pentagonal pennants, and when it hit the lunar surface, the ball scattered into dozens of pennants.

Dimensions: Total length was 5.2 meters. The diameter of the satellite itself is 2.4 meters.

RN: Luna (modification R-7)

Weight: 390.2 kg.

Objectives: Reaching the surface of the Moon (completed). Achieving the second escape velocity (completed). Overcome the gravity of planet Earth (completed). Delivery of "USSR" pennants to the surface of the Moon (completed).

JOURNEY INTO SPACE

“Luna” is the name of the Soviet lunar exploration program and a series of spacecraft launched in the USSR to the Moon starting in 1959.

The first generation spacecraft (“Luna-1” - “Luna-3”) flew from the Earth to the Moon without first launching an artificial Earth satellite into orbit, making corrections on the Earth-Moon trajectory and braking near the Moon. The devices flew over the Moon (“Luna-1”), reached the Moon (“Luna-2”), flew around it and photographed it (“Luna-3”).

Second-generation spacecraft (“Luna-4” - “Luna-14”) were launched using more advanced methods: preliminary insertion into orbit of an artificial Earth satellite, then launch to the Moon, trajectory correction and braking in cislunar space. During the launches, they practiced flying to the Moon and landing on its surface (“Luna-4” - “Luna-8”), soft landing (“Luna-9” and “Luna-13”) and transferring into orbit an artificial lunar satellite (“Luna -10", "Luna-11", "Luna-12", "Luna-14").

More advanced and heavier third-generation spacecraft (“Luna-15” - “Luna-24”) flew to the Moon according to the scheme used by second-generation satellites; Moreover, to increase the accuracy of landing on the Moon, it is possible to make several corrections on the flight path from the Earth to the Moon and in the orbit of an artificial satellite of the Moon. The Luna devices provided the first scientific data on the Moon, the development of a soft landing on the Moon, the creation of artificial lunar satellites, the taking and delivery of soil samples to Earth, and the transportation of lunar self-propelled vehicles to the surface of the Moon. The creation and launch of a variety of automatic lunar probes is a feature of the Soviet lunar exploration program.

MOON RACE

The USSR started the “game” by launching the first artificial satellite. The United States immediately became involved. In 1958, the Americans hastily developed and launched their satellite, and at the same time formed “for the benefit of all” - this is the motto of the organization - NASA. But by that time, the Soviets had overtaken their rivals even further - they sent the dog Laika into space, which, although it did not return, proved with its own heroic example the possibility of survival in orbit.

It took almost two years to develop a lander capable of delivering a living organism back to Earth. It was necessary to modify the structures so that they could withstand two “travels through the atmosphere”, to create a high-quality sealed and high-temperature resistant skin. And most importantly, it was necessary to calculate the trajectory and design engines that would protect the astronaut from overloads.

When all this was done, Belka and Strelka got the opportunity to show their heroic canine nature. They completed their task - they returned alive. Less than a year later, Gagarin flew in their footsteps - and also returned alive. In 1961, the Americans sent only the chimpanzee Ham into airless space. True, on May 5 of the same year, Alan Shepard made a suborbital flight, but this achievement of space flight was not recognized by the international community. The first “real” American astronaut, John Glenn, ended up in space only in February 1962.

It would seem that the United States is hopelessly behind the “boys from the neighboring continent.” The triumphs of the USSR followed one after another: the first group flight, the first man in outer space, the first woman in space... And even the Soviet “Moons” reached the natural satellite of the Earth first, laying the foundations for the technique of gravitational maneuvers so important for current research programs and photographing the far side night luminary.

But it was possible to win such a game only by destroying the opposing team, physically or mentally. The Americans had no intention of being destroyed. On the contrary, back in 1961, immediately after Yuri Gagarin’s flight, NASA, with the blessing of the newly elected Kennedy, set a course for the Moon.

The decision was risky - the USSR achieved its goal step by step, systematically and consistently, and still it did not do without failures. And the US space agency decided to take a step, if not a whole flight of stairs. But America compensated for its, in a certain sense, arrogance by carefully working out the lunar program. The Apollos were tested on Earth and in orbit, while the USSR launch vehicles and lunar modules were “tested in combat” - and did not withstand the tests. As a result, the US tactics turned out to be more effective.

But the key factor that weakened the Union in the lunar race was the split within the “team from the Soviet court.” Korolev, on whose will and enthusiasm the astronautics rested, first, after his victory over the skeptics, lost his monopoly on decision-making. Design bureaus grew like mushrooms after rain on black soil unspoiled by agricultural cultivation. The distribution of tasks began, and each leader, whether scientific or party, considered himself the most competent. At first, the very approval of the lunar program was late - politicians, distracted by Titov, Leonov and Tereshkova, took up it only in 1964, when the Americans had already been thinking about their Apollo for three years. And then the attitude towards flights to the Moon turned out to be not serious enough - they did not have the same military prospects as the launches of Earth satellites and orbital stations, and they required much more funding.

Problems with money, as is usually the case, “finished off” grandiose lunar projects. From the very start of the program, Korolev was advised to underestimate the numbers before the word “rubles”, because no one would approve of the real amounts. If developments were as successful as previous ones, this approach would be justified. The party leadership still knew how to count and would not close a promising business in which too much had already been invested. But combined with a confused division of labor, the lack of funds led to catastrophic delays in schedule and savings in testing.

Perhaps the situation could be rectified later. The astronauts were burning with enthusiasm, even asking to be sent to the Moon on ships that did not survive the test flights. Design bureaus, with the exception of OKB-1, which was under the leadership of Korolev, demonstrated the inconsistency of their projects and quietly left the scene. The stable economy of the USSR in the 70s made it possible to allocate additional funds for the modification of missiles, especially if the military were involved in the matter. However, in 1968, an American crew flew around the moon, and in 1969, Neil Armstrong took his small victorious step into space race. The Soviet lunar program has lost its meaning for politicians.

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 called 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. Specifications when burned, 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. 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 rocket developed by the leading designer of OKB-52 Vladimir Chelomey was to be used "Proton", and for landing - the Royal N-1 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 its 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 started, which damaged 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.