Uddo Graaf wrote:

I read that the Russian N-1 moon rocket kept blowing up because the Russians
couldn't control the thrust of 30 rocket engines firing in tandem. I was
wondering: could this problem have been solved by computer controlled
engines? Or is there another structural reason for the failure of the N-1?

IMO the N-1 failed because:

a) the head designer died at an inoppotune moment (Werner Von Braun died
only after skylab)

b) the testing regime more or less guaranteed that the first few
launches would end in disaster- this was a very bad move politically as
it made it look like the program was making bad progress. (Note that
they had a test program of something like 12 launches, but only 4 of
them actually happened.)

c) the engines and other components weren't sufficiently well tested
individually

d) America had already 'won the race' to the moon; so politically there
wasn't the same drive in Russia

I must admit that I find the N-1 the prettiest rocket ever; the Saturn V
visually looked like an ugly kludge in comparison. But that's the
difference between form and function- Saturn V functioned ever so much
better.