The Soviet's 70 Year Old Abandoned Moon Base Plan
The Space Race・15 minutes read
The Soviet Union made significant advancements in the Space Race, achieving milestones such as the first human object to reach the Moon, the first person to orbit the Earth, and developing the powerful N1 L3 super heavy vehicle. Their ambitious plans for a moon base named Viesta were cut short by the failure of the N1 rocket, leading to questions about the potential impact on the Space Race and the development of moon bases by both the Soviets and Americans.
Insights
- The Soviet Union made significant strides in the Space Race, achieving numerous milestones ahead of the United States, including the first human object to reach the Moon, first person to orbit the Earth, and first spacewalk.
- Despite ambitious plans for a moon base named Viesta, the Soviet Union faced a setback with the N1 rocket's failure, highlighting the challenges and uncertainties in space exploration. This event not only ended Soviet ambitions for colonizing the moon but also raised questions about the potential impact on the Space Race and the development of moon bases by both superpowers.
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Recent questions
What were some notable Soviet achievements in the Space Race?
The Soviet Union achieved several significant milestones in the Space Race, including launching the first probe into orbit (Sputnik 1, 1957), sending the first human object to reach the Moon (Luna 2, 1959), having the first person orbit the Earth (Yuri Gagarin, 1961), conducting the first spacewalk (Alexi Leonov, 1965), achieving the first soft moon landing (Luna 9, 1966), and sending the first spaceship to circle the moon (Zond 5, 1968).
What was the N1 L3 super heavy vehicle developed by the Soviet Union?
The N1 L3 super heavy vehicle was a powerful Moon rocket developed by the Soviet Union, featuring 30 rocket engines generating 10.2 million pounds of thrust, surpassing NASA's Saturn 5. It consisted of three stages - Block A booster, Block B second stage, and Block C third stage - to propel the L3 lunar vehicle into orbit around Earth.
What was the structure of the L3 lunar vehicle developed by the Soviet Union?
The L3 lunar vehicle developed by the Soviet Union comprised the L Orbiter and LK Lander, with two cosmonauts riding in the Lo Command Module. They would perform a spacewalk to transfer to the LK Lander for a soft touchdown on the Moon. After exploring and collecting samples, the cosmonauts would return to the L Orbiter for the journey back to Earth, landing in a Soviet desert.
What were the plans for the moon base named Viesta by the Soviet Union?
The Soviet Union planned to construct a moon base named Viesta, consisting of nine modules buried under regolith and transported using the N1 booster and L3 upper stages. Each module would serve different functions like Command Module, laboratory, Warehouse module, Workshop module, and living quarters, supporting up to 12 cosmonauts. The base would be powered by a nuclear fion reactor, extracting critical resources from regolith, with psychological measures like false windows and an exercise bicycle for crew well-being.
What led to the failure of the Soviet Union's ambitions for colonizing the moon?
The failure of the Soviet Union's ambitions for colonizing the moon was primarily due to the explosion of the N1 rocket after flying successfully for 90 seconds. This explosion was caused by fuel line issues, leading to the end of the mission and the Soviet Union's dreams of establishing a moon base. The impact of this event raised questions about the potential success of the N1 under different circumstances, as well as its implications on the Space Race and the development of moon bases by both the Soviets and Americans.
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Summary
00:00
Soviet Union's Ambitious Moon Base Project
- The Soviet Union was highly ambitious in the Space Race, achieving several significant milestones ahead of the Americans.
- Notable Soviet achievements included the first probe into orbit (Sputnik 1, 1957), first human object to reach the Moon (Luna 2, 1959), first person to orbit the Earth (Yuri Gagarin, 1961), first spacewalk (Alexi Leonov, 1965), first soft moon landing (Luna 9, 1966), and first spaceship to circle the moon (Zond 5, 1968).
- The Soviet Union developed the N1 L3 super heavy vehicle, a powerful Moon rocket with 30 rocket engines generating 10.2 million pounds of thrust, surpassing NASA's Saturn 5.
- The N1 rocket consisted of three stages - Block A booster, Block B second stage, and Block C third stage - to propel the L3 lunar vehicle into orbit around Earth.
- The L3 lunar vehicle comprised the L Orbiter and LK Lander, with two cosmonauts riding in the Lo Command Module, performing a spacewalk to transfer to the LK Lander for a soft touchdown on the Moon.
- After exploring and collecting samples on the Moon, the cosmonaut would return to the L Orbiter for the journey back to Earth, landing in a Soviet desert.
- The Soviet Union planned to construct a moon base named Viesta, consisting of nine modules buried under regolith, transported using the N1 booster and L3 upper stages.
- Each Viesta module would serve different functions like Command Module, laboratory, Warehouse module, Workshop module, and living quarters, supporting up to 12 cosmonauts.
- The base would be powered by a nuclear fion reactor, extracting critical resources from regolith, with psychological measures like false windows and an exercise bicycle for crew well-being.
- The Soviets even planned a moon train for resource extraction, consisting of four modules running on tracks, designed to shield cosmonauts from meteorite impacts and radiation.
15:59
Soviet N1 rocket failure ends moon ambitions.
- In November of the same year, the N1 rocket successfully flew for 90 seconds before experiencing an explosion due to fuel line issues, leading to the failure of the mission and the end of Soviet ambitions for colonizing the moon. This event raises questions about the potential success of the N1 under different circumstances, including the impact on the Space Race and the development of moon bases by both the Soviets and Americans.
