LEK Lunar Base Credit - © Mark Wade Media Gallery

Although the N1, L3, and DLB projects were cancelled, Glushko still considered the establishment of a moon base to be a primary goal for his country. While the Americans had achieved the first moon landing, they had retreated to earth orbit and cancelled further Apollo flights. There existed an opportunity, through establishment of a permanent Soviet moon base, to steal the lead in the space race. Analysis of the results of previous unmanned and manned lunar missions indicated that the moon was suited for a variety of 'special investigations. A permanent manned lunar expeditionary complex (LEK) would be required to accomplish this. In 1974 Glushko proposed having an LEK Lunar Base in place by 1980 using his Vulkan booster. The Soviet leadership saw it differently, and in 1976 prohibited further work and deferred any further lunar base research to the 21st Century.

To launch the elements of the LEK, Glushko proposed a new launch vehicle, the Vulkan. The August 1974 initial version of the Vulkan, the RLA-150, used liquid oxygen/kerosene propellants in all lower stages. This was in keeping with existing recommendations of the Ministry of Defense under Plan Poisk. Total cost of the RLA launch vehicle development program alone was put at 12.5 billion rubles.

After a poor reception of this concept by the Military-Industrial Commission, the Vulkan was redesigned to use the LOX/LH2 engine technology developed for the US Space Shuttle in the core stage. This would be surrounded by six strap-on boosters, using LOX/Kerosene engines, to be developed by NPO Yuzhnoye in the Ukraine. This use of cryogenic propellants represented a complete turnaround for Glushko, who had advocated use of storable but toxic rocket propellants in a bitter fight with Korolev and Mishin for fifteen years. This version of the Vulkan can be seen as a bridge concept leading to the core vehicle of the Energia/Buran launch vehicle authorized in 1976.

The Vulkan was designed to deliver 230 metric tons into a 200 km low earth orbit; 60 metric tons to lunar orbit; and 22 metric tons to the lunar surface.

NPO Energia engineers, using internal funds, elaborated designs for lunar base components over the next three years . These would take advantage of the payload capacity of the Vulkan and the Block R cryogenic stage to land complete housing units, laboratories, and long-distance rovers on the lunar surface of up to 22 metric tons mass. This would considerably simplify base build-up and operations compared to the 9 metric ton modules the N1 could deliver.

The LEK consisted of expeditionary and transport lunar spacecraft (Chief Designer K D Bushuyev) and equipment for the permanent base station (Chief Designer I S Prudnikov).

The expeditionary and transport craft consisted of:

• LEK (Lunar Expeditionary Spacecraft). As in the original LK lunar lander, this would be taken to near zero velocity near the lunar surface by the Vulkan Block V 'lunar crasher' rocket stage. It would then descend to the lunar surface using a landing stage nearly identical to the American lunar module descent stage. This landing stage however would primarily provide propulsion of the upper ascent/earth recovery stage to a trans-earth trajectory. The ascent/earth recovery stage consisted of a re-entry capsule in the shape of, but larger than, the Soyuz descent module, encapsulated in a larger spherical pressurized compartment providing crew quarters and equipment storage. Without the constraints of having to dock with another spacecraft or station in lunar orbit, this direct flight approach would allow a base at any point on the surface to be supported at any time of the month.

• LZhM (Laboratory-Residence Module) for three men as the home base for living and working during the expedition. This used a simpler descent stage with minimal propellant for the soft landing on the moon following separation from its Block V lunar crasher stage.

The equipment of the permanent base station consisted of:

• Lunokhod - a large manned wheeled mobile pressurized laboratory with a working radius of up to 200 km from the base. The Lunokhod would also be used for loading and unloading operations, and had a grader for burying the nuclear reactors which would power the complex and the laying out of 'streets' and protective berms for the base itself.

• LZM (Laboratory-Factory Module) provided biological and physics laboratories in two lobes. In the other was a factory for production of oxygen from the lunar soil. This used the same simple descent module as the LZhM.

• Nuclear power stations to power all of the modules of the lunar base. Each module of the complex was outfitted with its own autonomous power station. After landing, this would be removed from the landing stages and buried a distance away from the module before being put into operation.

• Transport spacecraft for delivery of expendable and consumable equipment and supplies to the surface. These would use the simple descent module.

• Study of other planets, astrophysics, and astronomy using telescopes covering the entire electromagnetic spectrum from the stable platform of the lunar surface

• Medical and biological studies, including perhaps the production of new bacteriological warfare agents

• Production of new materials and gases from the lunar soil (including oxygen for human activities and eventually as rocket oxidizer) and the collection of helium isotopes from solar wind for nuclear fusion reactors on earth

Delivery of the components of the LEK would be in three stages:

• Stage 1 - Three Vulkan launches would deliver the LZhM, Lunokhod (with scientific apparatus and consumables for 18 months), and an LEK with a crew of three.

• Stage 2 - Two Vulkan launches to land another LZhM, an open-cabin Lunokhod, and an LEK with a crew of three men for an occupation of six months.

• Stage 3 - One Vulkan launch of the LZM and further scientific apparatus (three months after the start of stage 2). This would give the base the capability to produce its own oxygen.

The LEK study and initial Vulkan design were completed by the end of 1975. However the Academy of Sciences Expert Commission chaired by Keldysh decided in 1978 that the LEK Project should be deferred into the next century. Glushko and NPO Energia were told to quit dreaming and devote themselves only to projects with national economic importance, like the Buran space shuttle. This put a definitive end to the three major lunar base projects studied by Korolev, Mishin, and Glushko in 1962-1975. Glushko simply waited. He restarted design work on a lunar base, using the Energia launch vehicle as the booster, after the first Buran launch in 1988.

Crew Size: 2. Design Life: 12 days. Length: 8.00 m (26.20 ft). Maximum Diameter: 4.50 m (14.70 ft). Habitable Volume: 25.00 m3. Mass: 8,200 kg (18,000 lb). Electrical System: Solar panels. Electric System: 8.00 average kW. Associated Launch Vehicle: Vulkan.

• LZhM.  Other Designations: Laboratorno-zhiloy modul'. Manufacturer's Designation: Vulkan-launched version. Class: Manned. Type: Lunar Habitat. Destination: Moon. Nation: Russia. Manufacturer: Korolev.

  Laboratory-living module. Three story lunar surface residence and laboratory for Vulkan-launched Lunar Expedition.

  Atop the landing stage was a four-lobed first story. Clockwise from the landing leg with the ladder to the surface, this consisted of cylindrical chambers containing: the airlock; crew washroom and kitchen; sample storage area; and control room. At the junction of the four cylinders was the crew dining and meeting table. Atop this was a two storied cylinder. On the lower story was the laboratory; atop this was the crew quarters. Total floor space devoted to work activities was 25 square meters, with 35 square meters devoted to crew quarters. The LLM would have been braked close to the lunar surface with the Block R stage, the descent stage itself only performing final descent and landing maneuvers. The crew would land in an LEK near the LLM and take up residence in it for up to a year.

  Crew Size: 3. Length: 9.70 m (31.80 ft). Maximum Diameter: 11.30 m (37.00 ft). Habitable Volume: 160.00 m3. Mass: 21,500 kg (47,300 lb). Payload: 6,300 kg (13,800 lb). Electrical System: Solar thermal. Electric System: 8.00 average kW. Associated Launch Vehicle: Vulkan.

• LZM.  Other Designations: Laboroatorno-zavodskoy modul'. Manufacturer's Designation: Vulkan-launched version. Class: Manned. Type: Lunar Habitat. Destination: Moon. Nation: Russia. Manufacturer: Korolev.

  Laboratory-Factory Module for the Vulkan surface base. Single story, four-lobed facility dedicated to lunar surface biological and physics research and production of oxygen from lunar soil for long-duration stay on the lunar surface.

  Clockwise, from the entry ladder: airlock; biological laboratory; oxygen production factory with scoop for digging lunar soil; physics-chemistry laboratory. An attic above the center contained hydroponic facilities for growing fresh food. Equipment weights: Biological lab, 950 kg; Physics-chemistry lab, 1,920 kg; oxygen factory, 3,200 kg. The LZM would be normally tended by one operator, who would live in the LZhM.

  Crew Size: 1. Length: 4.50 m (14.70 ft). Maximum Diameter: 8.00 m (26.20 ft). Habitable Volume: 100.00 m3. Mass: 15,500 kg (34,100 lb). Payload: 6,070 kg (13,380 lb). Electrical System: Solar thermal. Electric System: 8.00 average kW. Associated Launch Vehicle: Vulkan.

• LEK.  Other Designations: Lunniy ekspeditionniy korabl'. Class: Manned. Type: Lunar Lander. Destination: Moon. Nation: Russia. Manufacturer: Korolev.

  Lunar lander for the Vulkan surface base. As in the original LK lunar lander, this would be taken to near zero velocity near the lunar surface by the Vulkan Block V 'lunar crasher' rocket stage. It would then descend to the lunar surface using a landing stage nearly identical to the American lunar module descent stage.

  This landing stage however would primarily provide propulsion of the upper Ascent/earth recovery stage to a trans-earth trajectory. The Ascent/earth recovery stage consisted of a re-entry capsule in the shape of but larger than the Soyuz descent module, encapsulated in a larger pressurized volume providing crew quarters and equipment storage.

  Crew Size: 3. Design Life: 365 days. Orbital Storage: 365 days. Length: 9.70 m (31.80 ft). Maximum Diameter: 5.50 m (18.00 ft). Span: 11.30 m (37.00 ft). Mass: 31,000 kg (68,000 lb). Electrical System: Solar panels. Associated Launch Vehicle: Vulkan.

• Lunokhod LEK.  Manufacturer's Designation: Manned Vulkan-launched version. Class: Manned. Type: Lunar Rover. Destination: Moon. Nation: Russia. Manufacturer: Korolev.

  Lunar rover for the Vulkan Lunar Expedition. The rover provided pressurized quarters for 2 crew, allowing trips up to 200 km from the lunar base at a top speed of 5 km/hr.

  The 2.25 metric ton generating station provided 8 kW of solar power to run the motor. Each 12 day trip would use 200 kg of life support consumables.

  Crew Size: 2. Design Life: 12 days. Length: 8.00 m (26.20 ft). Maximum Diameter: 4.50 m (14.70 ft). Habitable Volume: 25.00 m3. Mass: 8,200 kg (18,000 lb). Electrical System: Solar panels. Electric System: 8.00 average kW. Associated Launch Vehicle: Vulkan.

• Semenov, Yu. P., S P Korolev Space Corporation Energia, RKK Energia, 1994. ISBN: 1896522815. Dual English/Russian language picture book of the history of the Energia Corporation. Many unique photos and drawings of Korolev's rockets and spacecraft. Republished by Apogee books in 2000. More at amazon.com...