The NK-15 (GRAU index: 11D51) was a rocket engine designed and built in the late 1960s by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau. The NK designation was derived from the initials of chief designer Nikolay Kuznetsov. The NK-15 was among the most powerful LOX/kerosene rocket engines when it was built, with a high specific impulse and low structural mass. It was intended for the ill-fated Soviet N-1 Moon rocket.
History
The engine equipped the N1 rocket - the first two launch attempts failed due to this engine. Its successor, the NK-33 was to be used on the N1F, a new version of the N1, but the program was cancelled.
Versions
- NK-15V (GRAU index: 11D52): modified NK-15 optimized for vacuum operation, used on the second stage of the N1.
See also
- Comparison of orbital rocket engines
References
- ОАО СНТК им. Н. Д. Кузнецова
- Propulsion Nositel (N) -1
External links
