History
In May, 1974 the N1 rocket program is stopped. Mishine is fired by the direction of the study office of OKB-1. A new organization, Energia NPO, is created, directed by the former colleague of Korolev (Glushko), it groups together the 2 research departments of Glushko and Korolev. Although the Soviet citizens spent more than 2.4 billion roubles in the Lunar project they were still far from having a heavy functioning launcher. All the work on the N1 launcher was destroyed and Glushko and Yangel OKB began the development of the Vulkan launcher from scratch. This enormous launcher had to put into orbit elements elaborated for the lunar program LEK (Lunar Expedition Complex).
This new launcher was modified on February 17th, 1976 when Glushko had to take into account the new specifications for the Buran shuttle. These changes led to move the payload from the nose cone to the side of the launcher, and to modify the structure of the boosters around of the central block, as well as other numerous modifications. The Energia launcher was born.
Purpose of the Energia LV
The Energia launcher was not only intended for lifting the Buran space shuttle but to carry different kind of payloads. That's why the main engines are not located on the shuttle. For its first maiden flight it carried the space combat station Polyus on its side. The configuration for the payload for on its side, so it could carry up to 100 tons in LEO, and 32 tons for the Moon and Mars.
On the Soviet side, the of the Energiya-Buran system directly related to the of the N1 Moon in the early 1970s. 1969 to 1972, four launch attempts of the failed. The Soviet government cancelled this program in of the modular heavy vehicle called Energiya. The assigned this new project the Energiya Scientific Production (NPO Energiya).43 Interestingly enough, significant figure who worked both the N1 and Energiya was Boris Gubanov, worked on the former its infancy and then as Chief Designer of Energiya rocket twenty years
In May 1974, a large of the Soviet space took place which led the Buran half of project. Vasiliy Mishin, who the chief designer at influential TsKBEM design bureau, unceremoniously fired while he in the hospital. TsKBEM with Valentin Glushko's KB bureau to form the new Energiya Scientific Production (NPO Energiya). Glushko then over this huge new supervising virtually all Soviet spacecraft, launch vehicles, and satellites. Famed Soviet rocketry Sergei Korolev had founded seed of NPO Energiya, now Glushko had even power. As one of first official acts, the Glushko signed an order all work on the and associated lunar projects. a single stroke, Glushko cancelled Mishin's grand plans space exploration.