--- title: "The X-12: The Incredible Idea for A Nuclear Train" description: "You may know it best from Ronald Moore's show for Apple TV+ entitled *For All Mankind*, a sci-fi drama based on an alternate history where the Soviet Union beats the United States to the Moon, inspiring a much more prolonged space race involving lunar colonization. In the show, Zvezda is the Soviet base on the Moon rivaling the American Jamestown.\n\nWhile this is a work of fiction, the basis for Zvezda, which means \"star\" in Russian, is quite real. The Soviets had indeed planned an extensive moonbase as part of their overall N1-L3 human lunar expedition program, and though it was ultimately canceled along with the rest of the Soviet space program, its concepts and designs may inspire future lunar colonization, whether by Russia or other nations.\n\n## The Soviet Moonshot\n\nZvezda was not its own project. Rather it was just one part of the N1-L3 program, the Soviet Union's ambitious attempt to land cosmonauts on the Moon and establish a lunar presence. Soviet officials had mentioned reaching the Moon and establishing a base as early as 1961, but no practical steps were taken until Sergei Korolev, the USSR's senior rocket scientist, began developing the superheavy N-1 rocket. Although Korolev originally had dreams of using the rocket for launching an orbital base as well as crewed flights to Mars and Venus, it was ultimately appropriated for the lunar program, directly competing with the United States' Apollo program.\n\nThe N1-L3 program was a two-fold initiative. The N1 component was a superheavy launch vehicle designed to lift the L3 lunar payload into space, while the L3 component was a combination of the Soyuz 7K-L3 Command Ship, also called the LOK, and an LK lander. Together, these components would carry cosmonauts to the Moon, land on its surface, and either return them safely to Earth or, long-term, leave them at the Zvezda base.\n\nThe LOK was an orbital mothership designed to carry two cosmonauts in lunar orbit, while one cosmonaut would land on the Moon in the LK, or Lunar Craft. Unlike the Apollo Lunar Module, which had two separate engine stages for descent and ascent, the LK was a single-stage vehicle, making it smaller and lighter but also limiting its capacity. Similarly, there was no docking tunnel between the LOK and LK, meaning cosmonauts would have to spacewalk between the two. This boilerplate design was in large part because the N-1 rocket was only capable of carrying 105 tons into low Earth orbit versus 155 tons for Apollo's Saturn V.\n\nAlthough the N1-L3 spacecraft never landed any cosmonauts on the Moon, the USSR did perform numerous test flights. These included four launches with the N1 rocket and dummy LK modules that were all failures, including a launch just 13 days before Apollo 11 that destroyed not just the rocket but the entire launch complex.\n\nAfter Apollo's success, the Soviets continued with three uncrewed test missions in the early 1970s, but they substituted the N-1 for a Soyuz-L rocket and used a variant of the LK called the T2K. This was essentially the LK lunar lander just without the landing gear. Referred to as Kosmos 379, 398 and 434, all three tests were successful and officials deemed the LK suitable for crewed missions. However, N1-L3 was canceled shortly thereafter in May 1974, and the LK never even carried a single cosmonaut, much less delivered one to the Zvezda moonbase.\n\n## Room to Grow\n\nDespite the cancellation of the N1-L3 program, the Zvezda moonbase concept continued to captivate the imagination of Soviet engineers and space enthusiasts alike. The base was envisioned as a modular, expandable structure that would facilitate long-term lunar habitation, scientific research and resource extraction. The initial design featured a series of interconnected modules, including living quarters, research laboratories and power generation facilities. Over time, additional modules and infrastructure could be added to the base, supporting a growing population of cosmonauts and scientists.\n\nSpecifically, engineers envisioned nine modules in total, all based around the habitation module and all transported and installed at separate times. Perhaps the most innovative aspect of the design, not only would the base expand by the addition of modules, but the modules themselves would grow in size after installation. While only 4.5 meters or 15 feet initially, various mechanisms including air compression would expand each module to 8.6 meters or 28 feet. They would also have a final diameter of 3.3 meters or 11 feet and total weight of 18 tons. Altogether, this would provide space for nine to 12 cosmonauts.\n\nTo ensure the sustainability of the lunar outpost and a dozen people, the Zvezda base would utilize advanced life support systems and relied on in-situ resource utilization, or ISRU, to reduce reliance on Earth-based supplies. For example, lunar regolith would be processed to extract vital elements like oxygen, hydrogen and metals, which could be used for life support, fuel production and construction materials.\n\nFurthermore, the base would be equipped with advanced communication systems, enabling efficient communication with Earth and other lunar or orbital assets. A nuclear reactor and atomic batteries would provide power, and scientists even envisioned burying the bulk of the base under lunar regolith to protect it from meteorites and dangerous solar radiation.\n\n## Getting Around in Style\n\nTransportation and mobility were also crucial factors in the Zvezda moonbase design. In fact, the initial implementation plan involved sending robotic Lunokhod rovers to the lunar surface after the first habitation module was delivered and before any cosmonauts had arrived.\n\nThese rovers were to serve multiple purposes, including conducting preliminary exploration, surveying and marking out potential landing sites for the remaining modules, and even providing basic maintenance and performing basic construction on the early stages of the base. This was to involve setting up an entire communications relay system between the base and Earth so that the cosmonauts would have a reliable means of communication once they arrived and, of course, so that Moscow could control the rovers before they got there.\n\nHowever, by far the rovers' coolest job would come after the cosmonauts' arrival. For one thing, the crew would be able to operate and ride in the various specialized lunar vehicles for transportation and exploration. This would allow for extended excursions over the lunar surface—Moon camping trips, if you will—as well as more advanced drilling and excavation purposes. This would allow the Zvezda base to pursue both scientific objectives as well as exploration and potentially even military missions and reconnaissance if the United States were to build a similar base as suggested in *For All Mankind*.\n\nEven crazier, the concept of lunar rovers at the base evolved into a lunar \"tram\" system designed to connect the various modules of the base, allowing for easy transportation of personnel and supplies between the different facilities. Basically, this tram system would have been a train on the moon. While it may seem overkill for a crew of only 12, it was considered an essential part of Zvezda's infrastructure, ensuring that the cosmonauts could move around the expansive lunar outpost safely and efficiently.\n\nThe main thing that would differentiate it from a typical Earth-based train would be its relative freedom and versatility since it wouldn't be constrained by tracks. In fact, it would have been capable of leaving the base altogether if so needed. In total, the tram was designed to weigh eight tons and consist of four different Lunokhod rover modules.\n\nThe Lunokhod rover was one of the prides of the Soviet space program, the first created and launched in February 1969, though its rocket disintegrated on the launchpad and destroyed it. Its successor, though, Lunokhod 1, also known as Luna 17, made history by being the first remote-controlled rover to land on the Moon in November 1970, after which it spent 11 lunar days traveling a total of 10.54 kilometers or 6.5 miles around the lunar surface while sending back images and soil analyses. This was actually a much fuller life than you might think since 11 lunar days equate to 321 Earth days. Lunokhod 2, or Luna 21, also landed on the Moon in 1973, but the pair were the only Soviet rovers to touch the lunar surface.\n\nThe two successful Lunokhod rovers were designed by Alexander Kemurdzhian at the Lavochkin aerospace bureau. They had eight wheels, each with their own independent suspension, brake and motor powered by solar-charged batteries that could push the Lunokhods up to two kilometers per hour or a bit over a mile an hour—truly breakneck speeds.\n\nZvezda's tram, however, would consist of specialized Lunokhod modules. The first would be a tug followed by a rover with life support for two cosmonauts on extended missions. Hooked up to that would be a rover entirely devoted to energy production, either through solar panels or a miniature nuclear reactor, with the final module devoted to drilling. In fact, it would have had a manipulator arm that would have been capable of drilling and collecting soil samples without the cosmonauts having to get out of the tram and put on spacesuits. This was also possible since the tram, like the base itself, was to have three layers of protection from micrometeorites, heat and solar radiation consisting of an external metal shell over a special styrofoam layer with a final metal skin underneath. The lunar train would have truly been a home away from home away from home.\n\n## Slow but Steady\n\nWork on Zvezda, which really only consisted of theoretical designs in the first place, technically stopped in 1974 when Valentin Glushko, then chief of the Soviet space program, canceled the N1-L3 program. However, he immediately proposed the Vulkan-LEK program to compete with the United States' successful Apollo program and, considering that Apollo 17 was slated as the last US Moon mission in 1972, retake the lead in the space race.\n\nThe basis for the project was the new superheavy Vulkan rocket capable of launching 250 tons into low Earth orbit or carrying 65 tons to the Moon, but its primary purpose was for use in setting up the Lunar Expeditionary Complex, a lunar base similar to Zvezda that Glushko hoped would far overshadow the Americans' mere footsteps on the Moon.\n\nLEK was arguably simpler than Zvezda but more streamlined and no less ambitious. Like Zvezda, the idea was to build it sequentially with specialized modules, though these could be a lot larger than the Zvezda modules because of the Vulkan's heavier load capabilities. In fact, the habitation module would weigh over 21 tons. While lacking the full tram idea, the LEK would have also used a Lunokhod rover for transportation, exploration and the initial remote-controlled construction.\n\nOne main difference—and improvement—on the Zvezda design was the inclusion of a transport vehicle that could travel back and forth between the lunar surface and lunar orbit. In other words, it would have been capable of landing on the Moon and taking off again. The LK lander that was included in the N1-L3 program and therefore the plans for Zvezda was designed to use its landing gear as the launchpad for its ascent back to the LOK orbiter. This was similar to Apollo's Lunar Module and meant that the lander could only land on the Moon and take off again once. LEK's lander would have been capable of going back and forth.\n\nLEK never really became more than just a thought experiment, though. Just two years later in 1976, the Russian Academy of Sciences declared that Soviet resources should be directed toward adding economic value and improving quality of life, not raising national prestige via the space race.\n\nThat was the end of LEK, but Valentin Glushko apparently had a one-track mind. Again in 1988 he proposed another lunar base as part of the Energia Lunar Expedition based on the superheavy Energia rocket. The idea was to get around the stipulation for \"economic value\" by having the base double as a mine for helium-3 that, in addition to other purposes, could be used for nuclear fusion.\n\nUnfortunately, Glushko died shortly after in January 1989, and his dreams for lunar colonization were thwarted by the collapse of the USSR in 1991 and the glasnost reforms that also brought the previously classified plans for Zvezda and LEK to light. Nevertheless, Russia carried on his spirit, and not just with a postage stamp released in 2008. An announcement in March 2021 stated that, in cooperation with the China National Space Administration, Roskosmos is planning a moonbase called the International Lunar Research Station, or ILRS, to rival the NASA-led Artemis program.\n\nIn other words, while *For All Mankind* might ostensibly be a work of \"alternate history,\" perhaps Russia and the US operating competing bases on the Moon won't be fiction for much longer. Could Zvezda, at least in legacy, make it off the drawing board? Is the Space Race back on?\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n- The Soviet Union planned a lunar base called Zvezda as part of the N1-L3 program, which was canceled in 1974.,Zvezda was designed to be a modular, expandable base with nine interconnected modules, supporting up to 12 cosmonauts.,The base would utilize in-situ resource utilization to extract vital elements from lunar regolith for sustainability.,Lunokhod rovers were planned for transportation, exploration, and construction tasks, including a lunar tram system.,Russia and China are collaborating on a new moonbase, the International Lunar Research Station, to rival NASA's Artemis program.\n\n## Frequently Asked Questions\n\n### What was the Soviet Union's plan for a moonbase called?\n\nThe Soviet Union's plan for a moonbase was called Zvezda, which means star in Russian.\n\n### What was the N1-L3 program?\n\nThe N1-L3 program was the Soviet Union's ambitious attempt to land cosmonauts on the Moon and establish a lunar presence. It included the N1 rocket and the L3 lunar payload, which consisted of the Soyuz 7K-L3 Command Ship (LOK) and the LK lander.\n\n### What was the purpose of the LOK and LK in the N1-L3 program?\n\nThe LOK was an orbital mothership designed to carry two cosmonauts in lunar orbit, while the LK (Lunar Craft) was a single-stage vehicle that would land one cosmonaut on the Moon.\n\n### How many modules were planned for the Zvezda moonbase?\n\nThe Zvezda moonbase was envisioned to have nine modules in total, all based around the habitation module and transported and installed at separate times.\n\n### What was the initial size of the Zvezda modules and how did they expand?\n\nThe initial size of the Zvezda modules was 4.5 meters or 15 feet. They would expand to 8.6 meters or 28 feet using various mechanisms including air compression.\n\n### What was the Lunokhod rover and its role in the Zvezda moonbase?\n\nThe Lunokhod rover was a remote-controlled vehicle designed to explore the lunar surface. In the Zvezda moonbase plan, Lunokhod rovers would be used for preliminary exploration, surveying, and even providing basic maintenance and construction before cosmonauts arrived.\n\n### What was the Vulkan-LEK program?\n\nThe Vulkan-LEK program was proposed by Valentin Glushko to compete with the United States' Apollo program. It involved the superheavy Vulkan rocket and aimed to establish a lunar base similar to Zvezda, called the Lunar Expeditionary Complex.\n\n### What was the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS)?\n\nThe International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) is a planned moonbase by Roskosmos in cooperation with the China National Space Administration, aiming to rival the NASA-led Artemis program.\n\n### What was the role of the LK lander in the N1-L3 program?\n\nThe LK lander was designed to use its landing gear as the launchpad for its ascent back to the LOK orbiter, meaning it could only land on the Moon and take off again once.\n\n### What was the significance of the Lunokhod 1 and Lunokhod 2 rovers?\n\nLunokhod 1 and Lunokhod 2 were the only Soviet rovers to successfully land on the Moon. They conducted extensive exploration and sent back valuable data and images.\n\n## Sources\n\n- [Original MegaProjects video: The X-12: The Incredible Idea for A Nuclear Train](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9_5hqVIxVU)\n- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_17](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_17)\n- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energia_(rocket](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energia_(rocket)\n- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energia_Lunar_Expedition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energia_Lunar_Expedition)\n- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_All_Mankind_(TV_series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_All_Mankind_(TV_series)\n- [http://www.astronautix.com/l/lek.html](http://www.astronautix.com/l/lek.html)\n- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LK_(spacecraft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LK_(spacecraft)\n- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Expeditionary_Complex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Expeditionary_Complex)\n- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunokhod_1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunokhod_1)\n- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunokhod_2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunokhod_2)\n- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunokhod_programme](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunokhod_programme)\n- [https://www.space.com/china-russia-moon-base-ilrs](https://www.space.com/china-russia-moon-base-ilrs)\n- [https://www.russianspaceweb.com/lunar_base.html](https://www.russianspaceweb.com/lunar_base.html)\n- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_crewed_lunar_programs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_crewed_lunar_programs)\n- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_7K-LOK](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_7K-LOK)\n- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz-L](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz-L)\n- [https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/world/russia/n1-l3-zvezda.htm](https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/world/russia/n1-l3-zvezda.htm)\n- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentin_Glushko](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentin_Glushko)\n- [https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/world/russia/vulkan.htm](https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/world/russia/vulkan.htm)\n- [https://for-all-mankind.fandom.com/wiki/Zvezda](https://for-all-mankind.fandom.com/wiki/Zvezda)\n- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zvezda_(moonbase](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zvezda_(moonbase)\n- [Hero image source](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Ronald_D_Moore_-_Comic_Con_2013.jpg) by Keith McDuffee / openverse, by.\n\n## Related Coverage" url: https://megaprojects.pub/article/x-12-nuclear-train.md canonical: https://megaprojects.pub/article/x-12-nuclear-train datePublished: 2026-07-02 dateModified: 2026-07-02 author: - name: Simon Whistler url: https://megaprojects.pub/author/simon-whistler publisher: MegaProjects image: "https://media.megaprojects.pub/cdn-cgi/image/width=600,height=338,fit=cover,quality=80,format=auto/articles/s9_5hqVIxVU/hero.jpg" type: NewsArticle contentHash: 49e9b5d6c7720f24f745de194381537fb52779ba4741cc65365372f3ff46125a tokens: 4649 summaryUrl: https://megaprojects.pub/article/x-12-nuclear-train.md.summary.md --- You may know it best from Ronald Moore's show for Apple TV+ entitled *For All Mankind*, a sci-fi drama based on an alternate history where the Soviet Union beats the United States to the Moon, inspiring a much more prolonged space race involving lunar colonization. In the show, Zvezda is the Soviet base on the Moon rivaling the American Jamestown. While this is a work of fiction, the basis for Zvezda, which means "star" in Russian, is quite real. The Soviets had indeed planned an extensive moonbase as part of their overall N1-L3 human lunar expedition program, and though it was ultimately canceled along with the rest of the Soviet space program, its concepts and designs may inspire future lunar colonization, whether by Russia or other nations. ## The Soviet Moonshot Zvezda was not its own project. Rather it was just one part of the N1-L3 program, the Soviet Union's ambitious attempt to land cosmonauts on the Moon and establish a lunar presence. Soviet officials had mentioned reaching the Moon and establishing a base as early as 1961, but no practical steps were taken until Sergei Korolev, the USSR's senior rocket scientist, began developing the superheavy N-1 rocket. Although Korolev originally had dreams of using the rocket for launching an orbital base as well as crewed flights to Mars and Venus, it was ultimately appropriated for the lunar program, directly competing with the United States' Apollo program. The N1-L3 program was a two-fold initiative. The N1 component was a superheavy launch vehicle designed to lift the L3 lunar payload into space, while the L3 component was a combination of the Soyuz 7K-L3 Command Ship, also called the LOK, and an LK lander. Together, these components would carry cosmonauts to the Moon, land on its surface, and either return them safely to Earth or, long-term, leave them at the Zvezda base. The LOK was an orbital mothership designed to carry two cosmonauts in lunar orbit, while one cosmonaut would land on the Moon in the LK, or Lunar Craft. Unlike the Apollo Lunar Module, which had two separate engine stages for descent and ascent, the LK was a single-stage vehicle, making it smaller and lighter but also limiting its capacity. Similarly, there was no docking tunnel between the LOK and LK, meaning cosmonauts would have to spacewalk between the two. This boilerplate design was in large part because the N-1 rocket was only capable of carrying 105 tons into low Earth orbit versus 155 tons for Apollo's Saturn V. Although the N1-L3 spacecraft never landed any cosmonauts on the Moon, the USSR did perform numerous test flights. These included four launches with the N1 rocket and dummy LK modules that were all failures, including a launch just 13 days before Apollo 11 that destroyed not just the rocket but the entire launch complex. After Apollo's success, the Soviets continued with three uncrewed test missions in the early 1970s, but they substituted the N-1 for a Soyuz-L rocket and used a variant of the LK called the T2K. This was essentially the LK lunar lander just without the landing gear. Referred to as Kosmos 379, 398 and 434, all three tests were successful and officials deemed the LK suitable for crewed missions. However, N1-L3 was canceled shortly thereafter in May 1974, and the LK never even carried a single cosmonaut, much less delivered one to the Zvezda moonbase. ## Room to Grow Despite the cancellation of the N1-L3 program, the Zvezda moonbase concept continued to captivate the imagination of Soviet engineers and space enthusiasts alike. The base was envisioned as a modular, expandable structure that would facilitate long-term lunar habitation, scientific research and resource extraction. The initial design featured a series of interconnected modules, including living quarters, research laboratories and power generation facilities. Over time, additional modules and infrastructure could be added to the base, supporting a growing population of cosmonauts and scientists. Specifically, engineers envisioned nine modules in total, all based around the habitation module and all transported and installed at separate times. Perhaps the most innovative aspect of the design, not only would the base expand by the addition of modules, but the modules themselves would grow in size after installation. While only 4.5 meters or 15 feet initially, various mechanisms including air compression would expand each module to 8.6 meters or 28 feet. They would also have a final diameter of 3.3 meters or 11 feet and total weight of 18 tons. Altogether, this would provide space for nine to 12 cosmonauts. To ensure the sustainability of the lunar outpost and a dozen people, the Zvezda base would utilize advanced life support systems and relied on in-situ resource utilization, or ISRU, to reduce reliance on Earth-based supplies. For example, lunar regolith would be processed to extract vital elements like oxygen, hydrogen and metals, which could be used for life support, fuel production and construction materials. Furthermore, the base would be equipped with advanced communication systems, enabling efficient communication with Earth and other lunar or orbital assets. A nuclear reactor and atomic batteries would provide power, and scientists even envisioned burying the bulk of the base under lunar regolith to protect it from meteorites and dangerous solar radiation. ## Getting Around in Style Transportation and mobility were also crucial factors in the Zvezda moonbase design. In fact, the initial implementation plan involved sending robotic Lunokhod rovers to the lunar surface after the first habitation module was delivered and before any cosmonauts had arrived. These rovers were to serve multiple purposes, including conducting preliminary exploration, surveying and marking out potential landing sites for the remaining modules, and even providing basic maintenance and performing basic construction on the early stages of the base. This was to involve setting up an entire communications relay system between the base and Earth so that the cosmonauts would have a reliable means of communication once they arrived and, of course, so that Moscow could control the rovers before they got there. However, by far the rovers' coolest job would come after the cosmonauts' arrival. For one thing, the crew would be able to operate and ride in the various specialized lunar vehicles for transportation and exploration. This would allow for extended excursions over the lunar surface—Moon camping trips, if you will—as well as more advanced drilling and excavation purposes. This would allow the Zvezda base to pursue both scientific objectives as well as exploration and potentially even military missions and reconnaissance if the United States were to build a similar base as suggested in *For All Mankind*. Even crazier, the concept of lunar rovers at the base evolved into a lunar "tram" system designed to connect the various modules of the base, allowing for easy transportation of personnel and supplies between the different facilities. Basically, this tram system would have been a train on the moon. While it may seem overkill for a crew of only 12, it was considered an essential part of Zvezda's infrastructure, ensuring that the cosmonauts could move around the expansive lunar outpost safely and efficiently. The main thing that would differentiate it from a typical Earth-based train would be its relative freedom and versatility since it wouldn't be constrained by tracks. In fact, it would have been capable of leaving the base altogether if so needed. In total, the tram was designed to weigh eight tons and consist of four different Lunokhod rover modules. The Lunokhod rover was one of the prides of the Soviet space program, the first created and launched in February 1969, though its rocket disintegrated on the launchpad and destroyed it. Its successor, though, Lunokhod 1, also known as Luna 17, made history by being the first remote-controlled rover to land on the Moon in November 1970, after which it spent 11 lunar days traveling a total of 10.54 kilometers or 6.5 miles around the lunar surface while sending back images and soil analyses. This was actually a much fuller life than you might think since 11 lunar days equate to 321 Earth days. Lunokhod 2, or Luna 21, also landed on the Moon in 1973, but the pair were the only Soviet rovers to touch the lunar surface. The two successful Lunokhod rovers were designed by Alexander Kemurdzhian at the Lavochkin aerospace bureau. They had eight wheels, each with their own independent suspension, brake and motor powered by solar-charged batteries that could push the Lunokhods up to two kilometers per hour or a bit over a mile an hour—truly breakneck speeds. Zvezda's tram, however, would consist of specialized Lunokhod modules. The first would be a tug followed by a rover with life support for two cosmonauts on extended missions. Hooked up to that would be a rover entirely devoted to energy production, either through solar panels or a miniature nuclear reactor, with the final module devoted to drilling. In fact, it would have had a manipulator arm that would have been capable of drilling and collecting soil samples without the cosmonauts having to get out of the tram and put on spacesuits. This was also possible since the tram, like the base itself, was to have three layers of protection from micrometeorites, heat and solar radiation consisting of an external metal shell over a special styrofoam layer with a final metal skin underneath. The lunar train would have truly been a home away from home away from home. ## Slow but Steady Work on Zvezda, which really only consisted of theoretical designs in the first place, technically stopped in 1974 when Valentin Glushko, then chief of the Soviet space program, canceled the N1-L3 program. However, he immediately proposed the Vulkan-LEK program to compete with the United States' successful Apollo program and, considering that Apollo 17 was slated as the last US Moon mission in 1972, retake the lead in the space race. The basis for the project was the new superheavy Vulkan rocket capable of launching 250 tons into low Earth orbit or carrying 65 tons to the Moon, but its primary purpose was for use in setting up the Lunar Expeditionary Complex, a lunar base similar to Zvezda that Glushko hoped would far overshadow the Americans' mere footsteps on the Moon. LEK was arguably simpler than Zvezda but more streamlined and no less ambitious. Like Zvezda, the idea was to build it sequentially with specialized modules, though these could be a lot larger than the Zvezda modules because of the Vulkan's heavier load capabilities. In fact, the habitation module would weigh over 21 tons. While lacking the full tram idea, the LEK would have also used a Lunokhod rover for transportation, exploration and the initial remote-controlled construction. One main difference—and improvement—on the Zvezda design was the inclusion of a transport vehicle that could travel back and forth between the lunar surface and lunar orbit. In other words, it would have been capable of landing on the Moon and taking off again. The LK lander that was included in the N1-L3 program and therefore the plans for Zvezda was designed to use its landing gear as the launchpad for its ascent back to the LOK orbiter. This was similar to Apollo's Lunar Module and meant that the lander could only land on the Moon and take off again once. LEK's lander would have been capable of going back and forth. LEK never really became more than just a thought experiment, though. Just two years later in 1976, the Russian Academy of Sciences declared that Soviet resources should be directed toward adding economic value and improving quality of life, not raising national prestige via the space race. That was the end of LEK, but Valentin Glushko apparently had a one-track mind. Again in 1988 he proposed another lunar base as part of the Energia Lunar Expedition based on the superheavy Energia rocket. The idea was to get around the stipulation for "economic value" by having the base double as a mine for helium-3 that, in addition to other purposes, could be used for nuclear fusion. Unfortunately, Glushko died shortly after in January 1989, and his dreams for lunar colonization were thwarted by the collapse of the USSR in 1991 and the glasnost reforms that also brought the previously classified plans for Zvezda and LEK to light. Nevertheless, Russia carried on his spirit, and not just with a postage stamp released in 2008. An announcement in March 2021 stated that, in cooperation with the China National Space Administration, Roskosmos is planning a moonbase called the International Lunar Research Station, or ILRS, to rival the NASA-led Artemis program. In other words, while *For All Mankind* might ostensibly be a work of "alternate history," perhaps Russia and the US operating competing bases on the Moon won't be fiction for much longer. Could Zvezda, at least in legacy, make it off the drawing board? Is the Space Race back on? ## Key Takeaways - The Soviet Union planned a lunar base called Zvezda as part of the N1-L3 program, which was canceled in 1974.,Zvezda was designed to be a modular, expandable base with nine interconnected modules, supporting up to 12 cosmonauts.,The base would utilize in-situ resource utilization to extract vital elements from lunar regolith for sustainability.,Lunokhod rovers were planned for transportation, exploration, and construction tasks, including a lunar tram system.,Russia and China are collaborating on a new moonbase, the International Lunar Research Station, to rival NASA's Artemis program. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What was the Soviet Union's plan for a moonbase called? The Soviet Union's plan for a moonbase was called Zvezda, which means star in Russian. ### What was the N1-L3 program? The N1-L3 program was the Soviet Union's ambitious attempt to land cosmonauts on the Moon and establish a lunar presence. It included the N1 rocket and the L3 lunar payload, which consisted of the Soyuz 7K-L3 Command Ship (LOK) and the LK lander. ### What was the purpose of the LOK and LK in the N1-L3 program? The LOK was an orbital mothership designed to carry two cosmonauts in lunar orbit, while the LK (Lunar Craft) was a single-stage vehicle that would land one cosmonaut on the Moon. ### How many modules were planned for the Zvezda moonbase? The Zvezda moonbase was envisioned to have nine modules in total, all based around the habitation module and transported and installed at separate times. ### What was the initial size of the Zvezda modules and how did they expand? The initial size of the Zvezda modules was 4.5 meters or 15 feet. They would expand to 8.6 meters or 28 feet using various mechanisms including air compression. ### What was the Lunokhod rover and its role in the Zvezda moonbase? The Lunokhod rover was a remote-controlled vehicle designed to explore the lunar surface. In the Zvezda moonbase plan, Lunokhod rovers would be used for preliminary exploration, surveying, and even providing basic maintenance and construction before cosmonauts arrived. ### What was the Vulkan-LEK program? The Vulkan-LEK program was proposed by Valentin Glushko to compete with the United States' Apollo program. It involved the superheavy Vulkan rocket and aimed to establish a lunar base similar to Zvezda, called the Lunar Expeditionary Complex. ### What was the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS)? The International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) is a planned moonbase by Roskosmos in cooperation with the China National Space Administration, aiming to rival the NASA-led Artemis program. ### What was the role of the LK lander in the N1-L3 program? The LK lander was designed to use its landing gear as the launchpad for its ascent back to the LOK orbiter, meaning it could only land on the Moon and take off again once. ### What was the significance of the Lunokhod 1 and Lunokhod 2 rovers? Lunokhod 1 and Lunokhod 2 were the only Soviet rovers to successfully land on the Moon. They conducted extensive exploration and sent back valuable data and images. ## Sources - [Original MegaProjects video: The X-12: The Incredible Idea for A Nuclear Train](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9_5hqVIxVU) - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_17](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_17) - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energia_(rocket](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energia_(rocket) - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energia_Lunar_Expedition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energia_Lunar_Expedition) - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_All_Mankind_(TV_series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_All_Mankind_(TV_series) - [http://www.astronautix.com/l/lek.html](http://www.astronautix.com/l/lek.html) - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LK_(spacecraft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LK_(spacecraft) - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Expeditionary_Complex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Expeditionary_Complex) - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunokhod_1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunokhod_1) - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunokhod_2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunokhod_2) - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunokhod_programme](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunokhod_programme) - [https://www.space.com/china-russia-moon-base-ilrs](https://www.space.com/china-russia-moon-base-ilrs) - [https://www.russianspaceweb.com/lunar_base.html](https://www.russianspaceweb.com/lunar_base.html) - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_crewed_lunar_programs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_crewed_lunar_programs) - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_7K-LOK](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_7K-LOK) - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz-L](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz-L) - [https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/world/russia/n1-l3-zvezda.htm](https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/world/russia/n1-l3-zvezda.htm) - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentin_Glushko](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentin_Glushko) - [https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/world/russia/vulkan.htm](https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/world/russia/vulkan.htm) - [https://for-all-mankind.fandom.com/wiki/Zvezda](https://for-all-mankind.fandom.com/wiki/Zvezda) - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zvezda_(moonbase](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zvezda_(moonbase) - [Hero image source](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Ronald_D_Moore_-_Comic_Con_2013.jpg) by Keith McDuffee / openverse, by. ## Related Coverage