The reason goes back all the way to the moon race, when a giant Soviet N1 rocket turned off its engines moments after its liftoff and exploded right on the launchpad, destroying it.

Inside the CIA Plan to Steal Soviet Missile Data; ... The second N1 rocket, designated 5L, reached the pad in the summer of 1969, ...

The N1 rocket that they created to take them there was almost as big as the Saturn V that took Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins to the Moon. It was a bit shorter, and a bit lighter ...

Flight History of N1 Rocket N1 1L – full scale dynamic test model, each stage was individually dynamically tested; the full N1 stack was only tested at 1/4 scale. N1 2L (1M1) – Facilities Systems ...

No rocket has ever used so many engines before. The closest comparison is the Soviet Union's N1 rocket, which had a first stage powered by 30 NK-15 liquid-fueled engines.

Elon Musk reveals higher payload capacity for Starship, surpassing previous estimates. Starship's superiority sets it apart from the Soviet Union's failed N1 rocket, ultimately halting the former ...

The SpaceX Super Heavy booster, with all 33 modern power units, should produce roughly 70% more thrust off the launch pad than the N1. Even the US space agency Nasa's new mega-rocket, the Space ...