The Soviet N1 rocket was the USSR’s boldest shot at beating the U.S. to the Moon—an enormous launch vehicle wi

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The Soviet N1 rocket was the USSR’s boldest shot at beating the U.S. to the Moon—an enormous launch vehicle with 30 engines in its first stage and more thrust than any rocket ever flown. Towering at 344 feet, the N1 was designed to deliver cosmonauts to lunar orbit, but its complex and untested engine configuration became its downfall. In contrast, NASA’s Saturn V relied on five powerful and thoroughly tested F-1 engines.

All four N1 launch attempts between 1969 and 1972 failed catastrophically, with the second launch resulting in one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in human history. After years of setbacks, the Soviet lunar program was quietly canceled, and attention shifted to space stations like Salyut and Mir. While the rocket never flew successfully, the N1 remains a symbol of Cold War ambition—and one of the most powerful machines ever built.

,SovietSpaceProgram ,RocketEngineering ,N1Rocket ,SpaceRace
,ColdWarHistory

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