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Short Description
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LK Overhead
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Overhead view of the LK lander, showing Kontakt docking system hexagonal grid docking structure. Exit hatch and ladder are to the right; scallop for main view port at front. Two high gain antennae at either side provided transmission of television from the lunar surface to earth.
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lkoverhd.jpg
260 x 350
21.1 kb
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LK Overhead
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LK Landing Profile
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Landing and abort profile of the LK lander.
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lkprof.gif
574 x 360
13.0 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK Landing Profile
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LK
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Overall view of the LK preserved at the Orevo Museum of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University.
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biglk.jpg
367 x 608
51.7 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK
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LK Lunar lander
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LK lunar lander in assembly hall.
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qlkassy.jpg
345 x 240
26.2 kb
Credit:
RKK Energia
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LK Lunar lander
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LK egress tests
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Numerous tests were conducted to determine the best hatch and ladder configuration for the cosmonaut in the bulky Kretchet spacesuit. It was found the standard Soyuz hatch had to be replaced by a customized oval hatch.
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qlkegrt.jpg
310 x 240
18.6 kb
Credit:
RKK Energia
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LK egress tests
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LK Interior
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Rare view of suited cosmonaut in the interior of the LK Interior during landing training. The cosmonaut had a viewing angle to the surface through the main window of 7 degrees from the vertical. A collimator indicated the predicted LK landing point.
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qlkintc.jpg
312 x 240
17.4 kb
Credit:
RKK Energia
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LK Interior
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Top of LK at MAI
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MAI, March 1994
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lktopmai.jpg
235 x 230
10.0 kb
Credit:
© Dietrich Haeseler
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Top of LK at MAI
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LK at MAI in rig
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MAI, March 1994
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lkmairig.jpg
364 x 312
20.6 kb
Credit:
© Dietrich Haeseler
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LK at MAI in rig
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LK interior left
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View of the LK interior to the left of the cosmonaut, showing the cabin depressurisation control panel, the radio control panel, cabin depressurisation valve, and the edge of the exit hatch to the left.
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lkintl.jpg
392 x 575
62.8 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK interior left
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T2K in Shop
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t2kshop.jpg
403 x 317
39.2 kb
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T2K in Shop
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LK First Mockup
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Early egress tests in the very first LK mock-up. This mock-up shows the earlier configuration of the lunar cabin, Block E landing / ascent stage, and LPU landing gear.
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lk1stmok.jpg
360 x 306
32.6 kb
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LK First Mockup
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LK interior right
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View of LK interior to the right of the cosmonaut. The large viewport provides good visibility for the piloted descent to the lunar surface. The smaller viewport is for use in rendezvous and docking with the LOK lunar orbiter. Pre-programmed sequences were called up on the blue sequencer master panel, with guarded switches for initiating major engine burns and explosive events. Environmental control system box at left provides connections to the cosmonaut's Krechet space suit.
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lkintr.jpg
580 x 398
63.2 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK interior right
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T2K Shroud on Pad
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t2kshrod.jpg
193 x 284
14.1 kb
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T2K Shroud on Pad
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LK Evolution
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Steps in evolution of the LK lunar lander. Top row, from right to left: development of the Lunar Cabin progressed from a simple sphere housing a seated cosmonaut with separate twin equipment sections, to a single equipment section, then finally to the complex shape with separate equipment module required to provide good visibility for landing and docking. Middle row: Development of the Block E landing/ascent rocket stage was dictated by the requirements of minimum weight, symmetric depletion of the propellant tanks, and an aerodynamic shape to deflect exhaust at landing away from the engine bell. Bottom row: alternate LPU landing gear approaches considered. From left: toroidal landing ring, housing LPU equipment; wild landing bag/water stabilised approach; variants on conventional gear.
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lkevol2.jpg
608 x 300
37.4 kb
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LK Evolution
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LK interior back
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View of the LK behind the cosmonaut. Environmental control, cooling, and electrical connections snake around the cabin. The round connection port to the left provides connection of interior service lines to the exterior cable/line bundle. The large round aft cover goes to the instrument section mounted to the rear of the spherical LK cabin.
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lkintbk.jpg
577 x 400
65.1 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK interior back
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LK LPU-Draft & Final
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Detailed design of the LPU landing gear. At the top: design at the stage of LK draft project. At the bottom: the final production design.
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lklpuevo.jpg
364 x 360
29.2 kb
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LK LPU-Draft & Final
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LK Landing Tests
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A subscale model of the LK's LPU landing gear were used in tests to verify the use of 'nesting rockets' - downward-firing motors that would plant the lander firmly on the surface at slopes of up to thirty degrees.
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qlklndts.jpg
308 x 238
16.8 kb
Credit:
RKK Energia
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LK Landing Tests
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LK Crew Station
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A view of the actual fully-equipped LK crew station. Significant equipment is present that is not in the mock-ups that can be viewed today. Note the collimator/aiming reticule over the landing viewport; the cabin crowded with pilot restraints, pipes, and equipment racks. It is clear why accommodation of more than one cosmonaut in this space was not feasible.
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lkcabcrw.jpg
413 x 311
43.6 kb
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LK Crew Station
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T2K Cabin
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lkcabint.jpg
407 x 292
34.3 kb
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T2K Cabin
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LK LPU
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View of the LK Block E to the right of the cosmonaut ladder. The blue antenna is part of the landing radar system. The instruments for this were mounted in a globular housing (missing on this mock-up) mounted on the aluminium struts. These would have been left behind with the landing platform when the LK ascended to lunar orbit. Tanks for oxygen and water are arranged around the LPU in a manner to ensure the centre of gravity of the LK remains on the thrust axis. That's the fin of a Scud missile in the foreground.
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lkdet03.jpg
572 x 400
65.2 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK LPU
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LK Egress Tests
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Another view of LK egress tests. This view makes clear the large size of the backpack of the Kretchet suit and the tight squeeze getting into and out of the LK lander.
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lkegres1.jpg
249 x 360
36.7 kb
Credit:
Filin
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LK Egress Tests
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LK panels
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The cosmonauts' view of the LK viewports and control panels. On the left, environmental control and cabin depressurisation controls (light blue panel); radio controls (dark green panel); large porthole looking down at lunar surface during landing. The small porthole looked upward for docking. The optical devices that were associated with these portholes are not present in this mock-up. To the right, sequencer panel for calling up sequences for manoeuvres, landing, rendezvous, and docking. Guarded switches initiated major events. One of two hand controllers is visible below the green radio panel.
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lkpanels.jpg
608 x 273
75.4 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK panels
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LK IOS View
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View of the LK Lunar Cabin and the Integrated Orientation System at the top of the cabin. Note the angled position of the main thrusters, the omni directional 'carrot' antenna at the lower right, and the hexagonal housing of the solar/stellar sensors at the upper right.
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lktopvu.jpg
410 x 252
35.3 kb
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LK IOS View
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LK at Korolev
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Large size photo of the production LK. Note the Vzor optical device fixed to the upward-looking porthole, which allowed the cosmonaut to determine and command attitude, range, and range rate information for docking with the LOK lunar orbiter.
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lkyanbig.jpg
421 x 608
130.8 kb
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LK at Korolev
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Krechet Spacesuit
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Krechet lunar space suit as displayed at NPO Zvezda. As in the Orlan suit still used on Mir, the cosmonaut entered the suit by swinging open a hatch at the rear. The backpack containing the life support system was housed in the backpack which made up the hatch door. As in Apollo, the gold-coated outer visor of the helmet reflected ultra-violet radiation. The integrated Kretchet design meant that no external hoses were required as in the American Apollo suit.
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krechet1.jpg
196 x 445
18.8 kb
Credit:
Andy Salmon
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Krechet Spacesuit
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Krechet Spacesuit
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Front view of the Krechet lunar space suit
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krechet2.jpg
206 x 478
24.0 kb
Credit:
Andy Salmon
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Krechet Spacesuit
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LK Base / Korolev
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Close-up view of the engines of the LK exhibited at Korolev School.
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rd868kor.jpg
578 x 392
64.0 kb
Credit:
Jakob Terweij
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LK Base / Korolev
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LOK-LK Drawing
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Unusual alternate diagram of LOK and LK lunar craft in docked configuration, with bottom view of LK. Korolev School.
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loklkkor.jpg
608 x 150
22.6 kb
Credit:
Jakob Terweij
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LOK-LK Drawing
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LK Interior-Korolev
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Interior of the an unknown LK also exhibited at Korolev school. This has partially-installed lunar landing instruments.
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lkintkor.jpg
576 x 390
63.2 kb
Credit:
Jakob Terweij
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LK Interior-Korolev
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LK Interior-Korolev
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Interior of the LK exhibited at Korolev school. Note the optical device on the upper porthole, part of the semi-automatic optical docking system. This is not seen on other LK's exhibited. Otherwise this LK seems to be equipped with earth-orbit systems of the T2K, rather than the lunar landing system panels.
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lkintko2.jpg
578 x 392
56.9 kb
Credit:
Jakob Terweij
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LK Interior-Korolev
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LK at Korolev
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LK exhibited at Korolev School. Note the optical device on the upper porthole, part of the semi-automatic optical docking system. This is not seen on other LK's exhibited.
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lkextkor.jpg
298 x 480
38.5 kb
Credit:
Jakob Terweij
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LK at Korolev
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LK Test Article
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Subscale dynamic test article of a late configuration of the LK, as preserved in the TsniiMash museum. This shows well the complex shape of the Lunar Cabin and the final LPU configuration.
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lktstes1.jpg
359 x 461
45.9 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK Test Article
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LK interior hatch
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View of the LK exit hatch. This is a simplified representation of the real hatch. Note the spherical bulkhead that forms the floor of the LK.
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lkinthat.jpg
573 x 400
47.2 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK interior hatch
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LK landing leg
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View of the LK leg to the left rear of the cosmonaut. Note the solid fuel nesting rocket mounted at an angle to the gear strut.
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lkdet01.jpg
579 x 397
58.0 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK landing leg
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LK Block E
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The Block E landing/ascent stage of the LK, viewed separately from the LPU landing gear. Note the clean aerodynamic shape and the engine guards, necessary to divert exhaust gases and debris away from the engine nozzle during landing.
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lkbloke.jpg
411 x 320
39.9 kb
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LK Block E
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LK base
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View of the base of the LK, below the ladder coming from the hatch.
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lkdet02.jpg
577 x 395
58.5 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK base
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LK Kontakt Dock Grid
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The LK was normally the passive vehicle in docking with the LOK. Atop the LK was this grid of 108 hexagonal holes, each a potential docking port for the snare docking probe of the LOK. This system allowed docking to take place without precision alignment of the two vehicles.
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lkdokgrd.jpg
339 x 244
23.9 kb
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LK Kontakt Dock Grid
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LK aft view
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View of the aft of the LK behind the cosmonaut. The dish antenna is for beaming of television of the landing back to earth. The conical antenna is for omnidirectional radio communications. A water tank of the cooling system is flanked by the two gear with their nesting rockets.
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lkdet04.jpg
373 x 579
70.7 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK aft view
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LK plumbing
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Close-up of plumbing at the base of the LPU. This water tank was part of the LK cooling system. The markings indicate a capacity of 25.3 l.
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lkdet05.jpg
569 x 398
53.8 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK plumbing
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LK Egress Tests
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Another view of LK egress tests, showing the challenge of squeezing through the LK hatch in the Kretchet suit.
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lkegres0.jpg
191 x 269
17.6 kb
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LK Egress Tests
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LK LPU detail
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Close-up of the LK LPU section to the right of the cosmonaut. The red boxes are mock-ups of electronic black boxes. The oxygen tank and solid rocket nesting motors are clearly seen.
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lkdet06.jpg
571 x 397
42.9 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK LPU detail
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LK Block E detail
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Close-up of the LK LPU section to the right of the cosmonaut. The red boxes are mock-ups of electrical / electronic black boxes and batteries.
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lkdet07.jpg
397 x 579
51.6 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK Block E detail
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LK Block E
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Close-up of the side of the LK LPU section behind the cosmonaut. The large antenna would have deployed pointing upward to relay television pictures of the landing and moonwalk back to earth.
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lkdet08.jpg
582 x 400
62.6 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK Block E
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LK landing pad
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Close-up of a landing pad, showing the construction of the strut and the fillets machines into the pad.
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lkdet09.jpg
398 x 574
51.1 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK landing pad
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Early Egress Test
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Close-up of the earliest version of the Kretchet suit and LK mock-up during egress tests.
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lksuitts.jpg
192 x 280
17.0 kb
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Early Egress Test
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LK ladder
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Close-up of the ladder leading to the LK hatch.
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lkdet10.jpg
573 x 398
48.8 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK ladder
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LK entrance hatch
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The entrance hatch to the LK lunar lander. On the right is the large instrument section, with connector plates for interior/exterior connection of electrical, electric, and piping services.
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lkdet11.jpg
580 x 398
56.5 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK entrance hatch
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LK IOS Closeup
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Close-up view of the Integrated Orientation System block above the exit hatch, topped by the disk-shaped hexagonal mesh platform that the LOK would use to grapple the LK. The top of the instrument section, with the connection plate, is visible on the right.
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lkdet12.jpg
579 x 399
41.5 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK IOS Closeup
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LK ladder base
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Detail of the base of the ladder, showing the battery racks below the ladder. Note the shape of the foot pad.
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lkdet13.jpg
527 x 369
50.4 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK ladder base
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LK cabin
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View of the LK cabin with a crude mock-up of the Integrated Orientation System block atop it. The disc antennae around the top of the block are of unknown purpose; possibly part of a radio-locator system to assist in finding the LOK during rendezvous operations.
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lkdet14.jpg
578 x 397
48.1 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK cabin
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LK landing leg
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View of the landing leg to the cosmonaut's front left. Note the solid rocket motors mounted above each leg that fired DOWN to settle the LK securely on the surface once the lander was near the surface. These greatly improved the chances of a safe landing. The system could handle landing on a 20% slope or with one leg on a moon rock. The descent ladder is seen coming from the hatch. The box at the base of the latter houses batteries for electric power.
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lkdet15.jpg
579 x 398
68.9 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK landing leg
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LK Main Engine
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The LK engine cluster at the base of the lander. The single chamber RD-858 of the 2,050 kgf main engine is at the centre. It is flanked by the two nozzles of the RD-859 2,045 kgf backup engine. The smaller nozzles are exhaust nozzles for the turbines of the pump-fed engines. At landing or takeoff, both the primary and backup engines would ignite. Only if both engines were operating, would one shut down. The thick clamshell doors closed over the engines after landing to insulate them and prevent ingestion of lunar soil.
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lkengine.jpg
577 x 398
55.3 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK Main Engine
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LK landing leg
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View of the landing leg to the cosmonaut's front left. Note the solid rocket motors mounted above each leg that fired DOWN to settle the LK securely on the surface once the lander was near the surface. Yangel OKB tests proved such rockets greatly improved the chances of the rocket not toppling if landing on a 30 degree slope or with one leg on a moon rock. The descent ladder is seen to the right of the picture.
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lkfrontl.jpg
481 x 400
44.8 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK landing leg
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LK with Block D
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LK with Block D Lunar Crasher stage. This is the configuration that would have braked until just above the surface, when the LK would have jettisoned the Block D, extended its legs, and manoeuvred to a soft landing on the surface.
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lkblockd.gif
236 x 619
9.2 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK with Block D
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Block D / 11D68
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Aft view of the Block D lunar crasher stage and its 11D68 engine. The Block D would have taken the LK lunar lander to near the surface of the moon. This stage remains in use today atop the Proton rocket.
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11d68.jpg
240 x 350
21.2 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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Block D / 11D68
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Engine 11D68 detail
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Close-up view of the 11D68 Block D lunar crasher stage showing detail of the BOZ orientation/ullage thrusters that control the stage during coast, restart, and manoeuvre.
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11d68det.jpg
324 x 350
33.4 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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Engine 11D68 detail
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Apollo vs N1-L3
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Apollo CSM / LM vs L3 Lunar Complex
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apolvsl3.gif
350 x 187
16.2 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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Apollo vs N1-L3
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Soviet Lunar Landers
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Landing stages for Soviet lunar expeditions. Top row, left to right: L3 original version; LK; LK-3; LK-700; two versions of the L3M; LEK for Energia-launched lunar landing. Bottom row, lunar base elements: Chelomei KLE; Chelomei Heavy Lunokhod; Barmin DLB base module; LZM, LZhM, Lunokhod, and LEK for Glushko LEK Vulkan-launched lunar base.
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zlklek2.jpg
480 x 170
33.8 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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High resolution/wallpaper version available
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Soviet Lunar Landers
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LK
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Detail forward view drawing of the LK lunar lander.
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lkgood.gif
421 x 464
8.6 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK
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LK Two View
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Two view layout drawing of LK lunar lander.
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lknewbig.gif
574 x 350
8.0 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LK Two View
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LK Lunar Lander
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LK lunar lander.
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lkcolor.jpg
306 x 338
19.7 kb
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LK Lunar Lander
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LK drawing at Kaluga
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Cutaway drawing of LK lunar lander, showing position of cosmonaut in cabin.
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lkkaluga.jpg
395 x 378
40.1 kb
Credit:
e
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LK drawing at Kaluga
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LM vs LK
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US Lunar Module compared to Soviet LK lunar lander
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lemvslk.gif
663 x 315
8.6 kb
Credit:
© Mark Wade
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LM vs LK
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