Better Late than Never: Successful N-1 Launch in 1972

The fourth N-1 rocket launch attempt failed just seconds before first-stage shutdown, but a consensus emerged that if the stage had shut down early rather than explode, the mission could still have succeeded. So what if the mission had succeeded, and N-1 had made orbit in 1972, winning enough support from the Politburo to keep Mishin and Kuznetsov in charge of it? Would the program have continued to a late-1970s lunar landing (as was the official plan at the time)? Would it have been used for super-Salyuts, or integrated into an alternate Buran program (similar to the Shuttle-Saturn concepts)?
 

Archibald

Banned
November 1972 is months after space shuttle approval by Nixon (January 5, 1972). In the name of Cold War brickmanship the Soviet Union needs a space shuttle, too, even if they hate the concept. Mishin is unwilling to scrap its N-1 and L3M lunar landing program, so he will probably be ousted as per OTL.
In 1960 Mister K. scrapped aviation design bureaus in favor of ICBMs. Since sence the respective rocket (MOM) and aircraft ministries (MAP) hate each others.
Bad luck: a shuttle is a cross between aircraft and rocket. Having both Soviet rocket and aircraft ministris working together is, by itself, a daunting task which explain why Buran started only in 1976.

https://books.google.fr/books?id=VRb1yAGVWNsC&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35&dq=Spiral+energiya+buran&source=bl&ots=UyY9kHkjHD&sig=ivdZlStUoRFrh19Pu414KqqQxZA&hl=fr&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwim-eHRj9jPAhUDPRoKHTx3ADEQ6AEIPzAE#v=onepage&q=Spiral energiya buran&f=false

Now a shuttle launched by a N-1 would be quite bizarre - I wonder if someone could create a CGI of that thing ? With the N-1 first stage strange - pyramidal - shape it would be difficult to strap a big orbiter to the side. And if put on top there is all kind of aerodynamic issues.

2-2.jpg


n1-1.jpg


One of the great projects lost with the N-1 was the 4N / 5NM big Mars rover and sample return. A 20 ton (unmanned) Mars ship.
The JPL has been fighting teeth and nails for four decades to get political support and funding for Mars Sample Return. It happened that 5NM had political support and funding but the wrong booster.
 
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November 1972 is months after space shuttle approval by Nixon (January 5, 1972). In the name of Cold War brickmanship the Soviet Union needs a space shuttle, too, even if they hate the concept. Mishin is unwilling to scrap its N-1 and L3M lunar landing program, so he will probably be ousted as per OTL.
In 1960 Mister K. scrapped aviation design bureaus in favor of ICBMs. Since sence the respective rocket (MOM) and aircraft ministries (MAP) hate each others.
Bad luck: a shuttle is a cross between aircraft and rocket. Having both Soviet rocket and aircraft ministris working together is, by itself, a daunting task which explain why Buran started only in 1976.

https://books.google.fr/books?id=VRb1yAGVWNsC&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35&dq=Spiral+energiya+buran&source=bl&ots=UyY9kHkjHD&sig=ivdZlStUoRFrh19Pu414KqqQxZA&hl=fr&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwim-eHRj9jPAhUDPRoKHTx3ADEQ6AEIPzAE#v=onepage&q=Spiral energiya buran&f=false

Now a shuttle launched by a N-1 would be quite bizarre - I wonder if someone could create a CGI of that thing ? With the N-1 first stage strange - pyramidal - shape it would be difficult to strap a big orbiter to the side. And if put on top there is all kind of aerodynamic issues.

2-2.jpg


n1-1.jpg


One of the great projects lost with the N-1 was the 4N / 5NM big Mars rover and sample return. A 20 ton (unmanned) Mars ship.
The JPL has been fighting teeth and nails for four decades to get political support and funding for Mars Sample Return. It happened that 5NM had political support and funding but the wrong booster.
Although you write that the main application of N-1 would be the launcher of the Soviet shuttle, is there a serious chance of some N-1 launched space stations in the Skylab weight class being launched instead of the smaller Proton launched Salyut 6, 7 and Mir? In the case of Super Mir preferably a big N-1 launched core module with big N-1 launched attachments too giving it a mass of over 500 tonnes and at least four times the crew.
 
The Soviet plan as of 1972 included massive space stations, if I understand the Encyclopedia Astronautica summary correctly. It also included a hydrogen upper stage for N1 (which they actually got as far as prototyping). But it also called for building a moon base by 1980. The question is, how much would a desire to match the Shuttle change the plan?

, Buran wasn't fully authorized until 1976, so work on the lunar and orbital complexes could continue at least until then.

Could a smaller Energia or similar hydrogen second stage serve as a second stage for N1 to loft Buran?

Finally, I will note that the NK-33s on N-1 could throttle down far enough that, if modestly ballasted, the stage could hover on two engines--could it be recovered and reused?
 
Now a shuttle launched by a N-1 would be quite bizarre - I wonder if someone could create a CGI of that thing ? With the N-1 first stage strange - pyramidal - shape it would be difficult to strap a big orbiter to the side. And if put on top there is all kind of aerodynamic issues.

Why? Why can no one SEE the genius that Korolev intended with the N1! It is so simple, so sublime, so much of a rip-off obviously inspired by viewing pirated copies of the Von Braun/Disney "TommorowLand" episodes! It is so clear if you only open you eyes... And draw a few lines:
N1Shuttle.jpg


Yeesh people ;)

Randy
 
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