Nositel-1 (N-1, carrier) was first proposed by OKB-1 on September 14, 1956, as a general-purpose heavy-lift cargo carrier. This was to maintain military support. It was approved in 1960 and oriented for the Moon on July 27, 1963, but soon proved too small for a lunar mission. For the first-stage engines, Korolev turned first to Glushko (who proposed only hydrazine engines) and then to Kuznetsov, who designed the NK-33 (Nikolai Kuznetsov-33), the NK-34 for the second stage (the same but with a larger nozzle), and the NK-31 for the third stage. Finally, the fourth stage would be used three times: lunar orbit insertion, orbit adjustment, and moon descent. Korolev initially envisaged 2 N-1 launches with EOR, then moving on to a single launch with LOR, but with a payload increased from 75 to 95 tons.
