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Soviet "Buran" Space Shuttle (History)
Aerospaceweb.org ^
| 7 December 2003
| Jeff Scott
Posted on 11/28/2005 11:12:45 AM PST by mym
Edited on 05/30/2006 11:17:01 PM PDT by Jim Robinson.
[history]
The Soviet Union did indeed build its own version of the American Space Shuttle that was known as Buran ("snowstorm" in Russian). The US had made the decision to develop its reusable spacecraft in 1972. Since the US Defense Department had plans to use the Shuttle for military missions, Moscow felt the need to respond with a comparable craft in order to maintain strategic parity with the West. The Reusable Space System (MKS) was subsequently approved in June 1974 with NPO Energia given responsibility for the project the following October. Though only the first spaceworthy vehicle built was actually named Buran, the entire project came to be known by this designation.
(Excerpt) Read more at aerospaceweb.org ...
TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Miscellaneous; Russia; Technical; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: baikonur; buran; history; nasa; russia; shuttle; space; ussr
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1
posted on
11/28/2005 11:12:48 AM PST
by
mym
To: mym
Lack of maintenance will do it every time.
2
posted on
11/28/2005 11:18:50 AM PST
by
brivette
To: mym
This burden was so enormous and put such a strain on the national economy that it was likely a contributing factor to the demise of the Soviet Union itself.
That's interesting. I've heard historians speculate that the trans-siberian railroad was so costly that it brought down the Russian Government.
To: mym
Just goes to show you that bad ideas have a life of their own and never go to a willing death.
4
posted on
11/28/2005 11:21:16 AM PST
by
Cincinatus
(Omnia relinquit servare Republicam)
To: mym
For me the last picture is very sad.
5
posted on
11/28/2005 11:22:22 AM PST
by
mym
(Russia - motherland of elephants)
To: mym
From what I've read, another major difference between Shuttle and Buran was that the Buran could fly remotely.
The Shuttle must be manned to take off and land.
6
posted on
11/28/2005 11:22:23 AM PST
by
DBrow
To: mym
First flew in 1988? I thought for sure it flew before that and burned up over Australia.
7
posted on
11/28/2005 11:26:11 AM PST
by
CodeToad
To: DBrow
The ONLY flight of the system was unmanned.
With all their experience in long-term space habitation, they couldn't copy the US life support system as well. Sad.
8
posted on
11/28/2005 11:26:13 AM PST
by
SJSAMPLE
To: mym
What an excellent article, THANK you! I followed the Buran for years, and wondered what happened to the craft after the Columbia went down. This just brought me up to date.
This, however, jumps out at me:
this owner also went bankrupt and was forced to abandon the Analog Buran in a Bahraini junkyard ...There the vehicle remains to this day...
What a terrible way for a dream-ship to end.
9
posted on
11/28/2005 11:26:48 AM PST
by
Old Sarge
(In a Hole in the Ground, there Lived a Fobbit...)
To: Mount Athos
==I've heard historians speculate that the trans-siberian railroad was so costly that it brought down the Russian Government.==
Naa, I'll never beleive this point.
Trans-siberian railroad was built by 1903. And Russian revolution was in 1917.
Railroads are profitable, while spacecrafts (to be honest) practically not.
10
posted on
11/28/2005 11:28:56 AM PST
by
mym
(Russia - motherland of elephants)
To: DBrow
From what I've read, another major difference between Shuttle and Buran was that the Buran could fly remotely. That, and the capacity to carry several extra crew members. I'm guessing they would have been "political officers" who could make sure the Buran was piloted to a landing on the correct runway, so to speak.
(steely)
11
posted on
11/28/2005 11:29:38 AM PST
by
Steely Tom
(Fortunately, the Bill of Rights doesn't include the word 'is'.)
To: SJSAMPLE
==With all their experience in long-term space habitation, they couldn't copy the US life support system as well.==
Russian engineers didn't need to copy US life support system.
Lack of money is the answer. Collapsing USSR is background.
12
posted on
11/28/2005 11:33:13 AM PST
by
mym
(Russia - motherland of elephants)
To: mym
Naa, I'll never beleive this point. Trans-siberian railroad was built by 1903. And Russian revolution was in 1917.
The main route, the Trans-Siberian, runs from Moscow to Vladivostok via southern Siberia and was built between 1891 and 1916.
To: SJSAMPLE
No, unmanned flight is a plus, not a minus.
If some awful thing happened abord a shuttle that disabled the crew, nobody could bring it down.
And, if all you are doing is a restocking mission, most of the 30 tons could be supplies, without wasting weight on food, water, oxy, people, and the fuel to boost all that.
There is no evidence that the Buran enviro stuff was lacking.
14
posted on
11/28/2005 11:35:24 AM PST
by
DBrow
To: mym
15
posted on
11/28/2005 11:36:21 AM PST
by
bmwcyle
(Evolution is a myth -- Libertarians just won't evolve into Conservatives.)
To: mym
16
posted on
11/28/2005 11:36:48 AM PST
by
cripplecreek
(Never a minigun handy when you need one.)
To: mym
The configuration comparison picture looks like it has come out of a unit list in the manual of an RTS game.
To: Steely Tom
www.buran.ru - lot of info with photo and video
The main differences between the space aeroplane Buran and Suttle-orbiter are follows:
- the automatic landing of Buran from orbit onto airdrome;
- the absence ot the main rocket engine on the orbital aeroplane. The main engine was placed onto a central block of a carrier-rocket ENERGIA which is able to launch into an orbit 120 tonns of payload against 30 tonns for Space Shuttle;
- the hight lift-drag ratio of the space aeroplane Buran is 6.5 against 5.5 for Space Shuttle;
- the space aeroplane Buran returned 20 tonns of payloads against 15 tonns for Space Shuttle orbiter from an orbit to an aerodrome;
- the cutting lay-out pattern of thermoprotection tiles of Buran is optimal and longitudinal slits of tile belts are orthogonal to the flow line. Sharp angles of tiles are absent. The tile belts of the Buran fuselage and fin have an optimal position.
18
posted on
11/28/2005 11:41:43 AM PST
by
mym
(Russia - motherland of elephants)
To: Mount Athos
==The main route, the Trans-Siberian, runs from Moscow to Vladivostok via southern Siberia and was built between 1891 and 1916.==
Yes, right. Sorry for wrong info.
19
posted on
11/28/2005 11:43:08 AM PST
by
mym
(Russia - motherland of elephants)
To: mym
Moscow felt the need to respond with a comparable craft Comparable?
It's practically a copy!
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