Author Topic: N1 For the Moon and Mars book 2nd edition  (Read 16501 times)

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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N1 For the Moon and Mars book 2nd edition
« on: 11/01/2020 11:04 am »
http://nick-stevens.com/2020/05/27/n-1-for-the-moon-mars-a-second-edition/

https://twitter.com/nick_stevens_gr/status/1322856728074092547

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A video I did of the Soviet N1-3L at the launch tower, for the first edition of the book "N1 for the Moon and Mars"

https://twitter.com/nick_stevens_gr/status/1322862746992562177

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The second edition is well underway, with a LOT more information, and many new high quality photographs.

It will be extending to cover competing Soviet Moon rockets, and alternate lander designs.

https://twitter.com/nick_stevens_gr/status/1322868092280688641

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The current very rough estimate is that we will have it written and ready for the Kickstarter about the end of March.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: N1 For the Moon and Mars book 2nd edition
« Reply #1 on: 11/03/2020 01:41 pm »
https://twitter.com/nick_stevens_gr/status/1323633079341195265

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Relics of the N1 rotating launch tower, via "Novosti Kosmionavtiki"

https://twitter.com/nick_stevens_gr/status/1323634186054414341

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One arm of the N-1's triple armed blast pits, and the deflector at the bottom centre of the system.

https://twitter.com/nick_stevens_gr/status/1323633560419524611

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Remains of the central hub of the N1 rotating launch tower, via Novosti Kosmonavtiki
« Last Edit: 11/03/2020 01:44 pm by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: N1 For the Moon and Mars book 2nd edition
« Reply #2 on: 11/05/2020 03:29 pm »
https://twitter.com/nick_stevens_gr/status/1324385961766256641

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OK! I've put a very high resolution version of my N1 rocket and tower edge render and spin up on Vimeo.

I'm not putting it on Twitter as I want to keep the quality up.




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This is a simple spin of my mesh on the N1 rocket and it's launch tower / gantry.
I've done this as flat shaded white, with black edges to bring out details.

I'm getting ready for an upgrade to the models!

Offline Fequalsma

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Re: N1 For the Moon and Mars book 2nd edition
« Reply #3 on: 11/13/2020 02:12 am »
Neat photo of the bolshoye rakety!

F=ma

Offline Oersted

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Re: N1 For the Moon and Mars book 2nd edition
« Reply #4 on: 11/13/2020 06:16 pm »
Did they have an escape tower to launch an escape tower??

Offline John Santos

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Re: N1 For the Moon and Mars book 2nd edition
« Reply #5 on: 11/13/2020 06:29 pm »
Did they have an escape tower to launch an escape tower??
Probably jettison engine at the top.  You can't use the main escape engine to jettison the tower because how would you jettison the tower AFTER an escape/abort?  Needs a separate engine.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: N1 For the Moon and Mars book 2nd edition
« Reply #6 on: 06/20/2021 08:50 am »
https://twitter.com/nick_stevens_gr/status/1406534071161966592

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OK, I think it is up and running, I have set up a newsletter for progress with the N1 for the Moon and Mars Book, 2nd edition. You can sign up here.

https://www.getrevue.co/profile/N1-Book

Apologies for any mess while I get to grips with the system! I anticipate sending 1 out every week or 2.

Offline Blackstar

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Re: N1 For the Moon and Mars book 2nd edition
« Reply #7 on: 06/23/2021 12:26 pm »
I am looking forward to this book. Asif Siddiqi and I had an online conversation about historical subjects where there are still major gaps in knowledge, and this is one of them:

https://thespacereview.com/article/4153/1

Asif wrote:

"It’s also surprising how little we know about the hardware actually launched on the four N1s, especially the last two rockets in 1971 and 1972—no drawings, no photographs, and no plans. I’d like to see more detailed plans on the role of the Lunokhod (E-8) rover in the crewed lunar landing."

To be clear, he was referring to the payloads, not the rockets.

Offline libra

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Re: N1 For the Moon and Mars book 2nd edition
« Reply #8 on: 06/23/2021 05:03 pm »
Seconded. It is quite frustrating indeed, and at many levels. The Soviet lunar program(s) were plentiful from 1959 to 1976 they churned large amounts of spacecraft and hardware - yet in contrast with that, the derth of data is surprising.

Take the N1 serial 4L, for example. There are two conflicting stories (by very knowledgeable people !) about why it was pushed by the wayside circa 1967-68; leaving 3L and 5L exploding in massive fireballs in the year 1969.

You know something remains very unclear when B. Chertok, A. Siddiqi and Anatoly Zak (at Russianspaceweb) do not agree  ;D ;D 

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=2157.msg2085902#msg2085902

I would sold my brother for data on the N-11 and N-111 smaller siblings of the N-1 - and N-1F. If only I had brother (s) in the first place, of course.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: N1 For the Moon and Mars book 2nd edition
« Reply #9 on: 07/03/2021 04:22 pm »
Some serious rendering work for the book

https://twitter.com/nick_stevens_gr/status/1411355977291603968

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Alright!
The rungs have been added up one of the big struts.

It's hard to tell how far up they went, as they don't show up clearly.

You'd also hope that they were only for use in extreme emergencies - even the first level is 50m up.

https://twitter.com/nick_stevens_gr/status/1411049917376651264

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One of the challenging parts of the N-1 launch tower is the crane on the top.

I can't make it out clearly - can anyone help with pictures of something similar? It's different from cranes I know.

https://twitter.com/nick_stevens_gr/status/1411247451516850179

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I mean, this is the model of the crane I used for the first edition book. Ugly or what?

It really doesn't help that I know so little about cranes.

Any pictures of cranes with a similar layout to help me make it credible are very much appreciated!

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: N1 For the Moon and Mars book 2nd edition
« Reply #10 on: 07/04/2021 09:23 am »
twitter.com/nick_stevens_gr/status/1411605254383276034

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Best news yet on the N1 book.

Alex Schliadinsky has good new info on the actual details of the rocket! He will consolidate them shortly, then I can work on bringing the models up to scratch.

I don't have information yet on exactly what is improved.

https://twitter.com/nick_stevens_gr/status/1411606443837493249

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For those who did not get the first book, Alex was the core of it, he personally visited crash sites and relics around Baikonur, and measured them accurately.

For me he's the world authority, and he regularly works for museums.

Here he is at work!

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: N1 For the Moon and Mars book 2nd edition
« Reply #11 on: 07/05/2021 05:36 pm »
https://twitter.com/nick_stevens_gr/status/1412071661894053891

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Test animation looking at the steps on the WIP N-1 launch tower.

I think this works, I can get close enough to show human figures clearly.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: N1 For the Moon and Mars book 2nd edition
« Reply #12 on: 08/15/2021 03:05 pm »
Newsletter from a week ago:

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N1 Book Project - Big News, new data!
Nick Stevens
@Nick_Stevens_Gr

A major new source of precision information!
Alex Schliadinski has provided me with the first set of new N1 plans, so I can start getting serious about upgrading the main rocket itself.

For those who do not know, and didn’t get the first edition, Alex has been researching the N1 since the communist era, and personally visited crash sites, and the Baikonur relics to measure them at high precision. He frequently works with major Russian space museums, and is the most meticulous person I know.
In this case, he got access to a precision 1:5 scale model of the L3 fairings, made at the time. Every seam, opening, and rivet is in the exact correct place - the model was used for strength testing, so it had to be highly accurate. Alex had 2 days to carefully photograph and measure all the details.

He then compiled these into detailed plans, which I will use to upgrade the CGI models.

I’ve done an initial comparison of the old and new information, and there are something like 50 updates to be made to the L3 fairings. These include things like adjusting the position of hatches, hatch hinges on the wrong side, ribs that are not as symmetrical as shown in the first edition, and more.

The basic dimensions from the previous edition are sound, so I don’t need to rebuild that fairings completely.

Apart from that, work has continued on the base of the launch tower, but much of the information is contradictory, (they were continually changing it), and the best photos were taken decades afterwards, so it is challenging. It will be a lot better than the first edition though.

As usual, follow me on twitter for blow-by-blow progress and sample images!

@Nick_Stevens_Gr
Nick

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: N1 For the Moon and Mars book 2nd edition
« Reply #14 on: 09/12/2021 06:50 pm »
https://twitter.com/nick_stevens_gr/status/1436975548820033537

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🔥 Hot off the press: “N1 Book Project - We have a target date!” https://www.getrevue.co/profile/N1-Book/issues/n1-book-project-we-have-a-target-date-724371 (via @revue)

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Sep 12, 2021
N1 Book Project - We have a target date!
Nick Stevens
@Nick_Stevens_Gr

We have been busy working on the book, and it is coming along nicely. Matt has been working on the layout of new sections, and I have finished the L3 fairings modelling, and have started some of the final renders.

I attach two page samples from proposed new sections, one covering a brief history of Soviet rocketry, and one covering advanced N-1 versions using Fluorine and Hydrogen, along with their proposed payloads.

Alex has confirmed we have all the data on the main rocket, so I can start the final modelling of the main stages.

The L3 fairings were challenging to model, as there were many, many subtle changes to include, but the version is MUCH more accurate.

Another picture is attached of those.

As with these examples, many renderings will use edge effects, to make small details clear. Others will be photorealistic.

Well, in the subject line, I promised you a target date - we are aiming to get it ready for launch before the end of the year, which is just over 3 months away as I write.

Thank you for subscribing to the newsletter, and if you want more samples of what I am up to, you can follow me on Twitter here:
https://twitter.com/Nick_Stevens_Gr
Nick Stevens

Offline Blackstar

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Re: N1 For the Moon and Mars book 2nd edition
« Reply #15 on: 12/13/2021 07:39 pm »
He just sent out a new update:

"Hello! An update from Nick Stevens, responsible for the graphics on the second edition of “N1 for the Moon and Mars”
Lots of work has been progressing nicely since the previous update.
Much has been focused on getting all the small details as accurate as possible, with 28 different areas on N1-3L, 5L, and 6L being refined. And all the perspective-free renders are complete for these.
I left the 7L, in case more new information came in - as you may have seen on my Social Media, we discovered that the 7L was >>NOT<< 100% white as previously thought, but had a dark sector facing the tower, like earlier variants. We have confirmed this with Russian sources.
Not all the renders will be used in the book, but the plan is still to have a bonus content memory stick or similar, which will contain a lot of extra information, particularly useful for the modellers.
Earlier today I finished the new models of the launch tower, and I’m pleased to share a render with you now. (All images are at the end of the newsletter)
So next up is getting the 7L updated, which is probably the last of the essential modelling jobs.
I’m expecting this to be done and rendered by Christmas, at which point our focus will shift more onto the book as a whole.
Anyway, in summary, work is progressing nicely, a big thick book is coming together.
To round things off, here are a couple more N1 related images I built by stitching video frames together.
Until the next newsletter,
That’s all folks!"
« Last Edit: 12/17/2021 08:47 pm by Blackstar »

Offline Blackstar

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Re: N1 For the Moon and Mars book 2nd edition
« Reply #16 on: 01/31/2022 03:47 pm »
Latest update:

Nick Stevens    
Nick Stevens
@Nick_Stevens_Gr
A short update…
The current situation is that we have a LOT of great content pretty much ready to go, words, illustrations, and lots of new photos.
The N1-7L in particular has a LOT of updates compared to the previous edition of the book.
And most recently, we have photos of the launch towers at the time of Buran, but showing the old N1 service tower rotated into place against the top of the orbiter.
However, Jack at ARA Press has not been able to get stuck in yet, and his role as editor and publisher is key to the next stage, where we decide how big the book will be, price, and so forth.
So it’s effectively currently on hold for now.
We don’t have an estimate for when things will be moving forward again, but will let you know as soon as we do.
Cheers,
Nick

Offline Blackstar

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Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: N1 For the Moon and Mars book 2nd edition
« Reply #18 on: 05/29/2022 06:13 pm »
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/N1-Book/issues/n1-book-project-issue-14-1104715

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Hello to our N1 Reference book subscribers!
This is Matthew Johnson, Dayton Ohio, USA, letting you now that we are very, very close to publication on AMAZON. The new title of the 2nd Edition is:

For the Moon and Mars- A Bold Vision: N1
A Reference Guide to the Soviet Superbooster and its Reach Beyond the Moon… 1945-2040CE

This edition has been 26 months in development. It includes all of the materials presented in the original edition, with improvements made where applicable.

It encapsulates the Soviet and Russian space effort from 1945 to 2040 CE, thanks to the RKK Energia Encyclopedia and Cosmonautica Vol. 1, with the monumental N1 program as its pole star. This work stands as a testament to the Cold War Era and the possible future that has now been terminated.

There will be no new additions to this saga.
Any future space faring events emanating from Russia will be in a completely different vein. NASA and ESA have already been cut off from RKK Energia. No more mining of NPO Energia files, no more umbilical’s to the N1.

With current affairs as they are, this 2nd Edition of the N1 Reference book is a swansong, encased in ember, forever accessible to those seeking the influence and development of the N1 Superbooster.
We have three dedicated members of a review board reading the 2nd Editon right now and, at this moment, Dr. Siddiqi is reviewing the manuscript and preparing a new 2022 Foreword.

I will keep you advised.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued interest and support.

I hope you find the following preview pages intriguing.
Matt 5-29-22
« Last Edit: 05/29/2022 06:15 pm by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline Blackstar

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Re: N1 For the Moon and Mars book 2nd edition
« Reply #19 on: 05/29/2022 07:23 pm »
I sent him a bunch of intelligence reports on the N1 and launch complex.

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