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First stage of the N1 rocket
In accordance with the Soviet nomenclature adopted during the development of multi-stage ballistic missiles, the first-stage booster of the N1 Moon rocket was designated Block A.
Known specifications of the Block A (Stage I of the N1 rocket)
In its original design, formulated around 1962, the first stage of the N1 was expected to carry 24 engines arranged in a circular fashion on the aft bulkhead of the stage, but by the end of 1964, the latest requirement to increase its payload from 75 to 92 tons for the goal of lunar expedition prompted the installation of an additional six-engine cluster in an inner circle around the central axis of the booster. Each of 30 engines was expected to have a thrust of 154 tons. Unusually, the steering of the rocket in flight was possible by varying the thrust of individual engines on opposite sides of the vehicle. Also, in case of the failure of one individual engine, it was possible to cut off an engine on the opposite side of the rocket to maintain the symmetry of the thrust. Theoretically, the first stage of the rocket could complete its task with two pairs of engines going out of commission during the ascent. (36) The spherical tanks of the stage were structurally suspended inside the conical walls of the booster, which carried all the structural loads of the vehicle. Due to the enormous size of the stage, its components transportable by rail were manufactured at the Progress plant in Samara, but their welding into completed tanks as well as the final assembly of the stage were performed at the Tyuratam launch site.
The propulsion section of the Block A under assembly. The size of the stage also prevented test firing of a fully integrated booster with all its engines, leaving it to actual flights to hammer out any issues during joint operation, which proved fatal for the entire program. The first stage was also equipped with pressurized helium tanks with a diameter of two meters which were built at KB Yuzhnoe production plant in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. The helium would be used in the pneumatic system of the rocket's engines. Eventually, the first stage was equipped with 11D121 engines for control around the roll axis in the rocket's coordinate system during the ascent. Also, starting with Vehicle No. 8L (INSIDER CONTENT), the NK-15 engines on the first stage were to be replaced with the NK-33 variant.
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