Why did the N1 design rely on a cluster of thirty engines instead of fewer, more powerful ones like the Saturn V?

Answer

Technical limitations faced by Soviet engine designers at the time

The choice of thirty engines stemmed from technical limitations; Soviet engineers had not yet perfected the high-thrust, single-chamber engine technology successfully employed by the Americans.

Why did the N1 design rely on a cluster of thirty engines instead of fewer, more powerful ones like the Saturn V?

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