What happened to the Russian shuttle(Buran)?

[brandbll]

I realize that it sort of fell out with the collapse of the soviet Union, but why didn't Russia ever bring it back? From the small amount i have read i got the impression it was actually built better than the Space Shuttle. Anyone have any idea why they just completely scrapped the idea? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="3">You wanna talk some jive? I'll talk some jive. I'll talk some jive like you've never heard!</font></p> </div>

 

[nacnud]

The first soviet shuttle was destroyed around 2000 when the roof of the hanger it was stored in collapsed destroying it. It was also badly damaged on it's one and only flight and was probably not able to fly again any way. There was a lot of TPS damage and it is possible that the air frame was bent!<br /><br />There were another five or so other 'Burans' in various states of completion, at least one identical to Buran and a few more with minor improvements but none were completed.<br /><br />There was no money available to finish them.<br />

 

[brandbll]

What is some of this stuff i have read then about them being better than the Space Shuttle? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="3">You wanna talk some jive? I'll talk some jive. I'll talk some jive like you've never heard!</font></p> </div>

 

[no_way]

http://www.buran.ru/htm/molniya.htm

 

[nacnud]

The main difference was the sighting of the main engines, rather than on the orbiter they were on the ET which meant that the Energia stack could be used to launch other payloads. However it would also have been more difficult to reuse the engines although this was a planned upgrade.

 

[nyarlathotep]

With the Soviet economy falling to pieces after perestroika, they couldnt afford to keep the Energia program going. The full Energia stack was really only useful for launching the orbiter, and orbital weapons platforms.

 

[nacnud]

and Mir II modules, and orbital mirrors for lighting the artic citys in winter...<br />

 

[mikejz]

I think that Buran proved the key mistake we made with STS: Failing to parallel develop the Shuttle and Shuttle-C.

 

[jamie_young]

There's a big info thread on the Buran, with a multi-angle launch and landing video and images of Buran before and after being destroyed, and the other five Burans, two of which still live, very dusty, in a hanger at the Russian Space Center.<br /><br />http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=636&start=1

 

[mlorrey]

There is a third Buran, with jet engines, that a German tourism company bought from its prior owners, in Dubai.

 

[n_kitson]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>There is a third Buran, with jet engines<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />The number of orbiters is an answer that economists like: "it depends". The answer depends on what you want to represent. All-in-all there were 13 airframes constructed, 5 space-faring and 8 test frames. The full inventory is as follows:<br /><br />Eight test frames:<br />OK-GLI - Aero tester (now on display in Sinsheim Germany, one with jet engines)<br />OK-TVA - Static tester (now on display in Gorky Park)<br />OK-ML-1 - Mockup tester (can be seen in outside some photos of Baikonaur)<br />OK-ML-2 - Mockup (in the MIK facility at Baikonaur)<br />OK-KS - Electronic/Electrics tester (now at Energia, Korolev)<br />OK-TVI - Heat and vacuum tester (location unknown)<br />OK-005 - Vibration tester (location unknown)<br />OK-008 - Vacuum tester (location unknown)<br /><br />Five production frames (only 1.01 was near completion and flightworthy):<br />1.01 - Buran herself (destroyed in the building collapse)<br />1.02 - Ptichka (unclear location: either in Baikonaur or in the Energia factory)<br />2.01 - First of the second series (Sinsheim Germany)<br />2.02 - Second of the second series (partially dismantled at the Tushino Machine Factory, Moscow)<br />2.03 - Third of the second series (destroyed)<br /><br />The second series differed from the first primarily in that the cockpits were upgraded.<br /><br />Footnote: As you can see, the Germans collected a bunch of these. Makes you go, hmmm... <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br />

 

[shoogerbrugge]

Sinsheim is just one very cool museum with loads of spare cash it seems. They have been adding interesting Soviet hardware in the past few years. They got a Tu-114, An-22 and a couple of other large and very interesting vehicles around.<br /><br />If you ever get the chance and happen to be in Germany I can highly recommand it.

 

[syndroma]

After the collapse of the Soviet Union Buran itself became a property of Kazakhstan due to "zero variant". Russia lost the orbiter, cosmodrome, funding, will, expertise...

 

[publiusr]

Quite sad.

 

[n_kitson]

This is also a reason that Russia is building the Angara launchers. In the eraly 90's they still had the capability to continue the Energia HLLV program. However, large parts of the rocket was manufactured in Ukraine, and they wanted a completely home grown rocket. A pity, for with Energia they would be the sole country with a true HLLV.

 

[ve7rkt]

<font color="yellow">I think that Buran proved the key mistake we made with STS: Failing to parallel develop the Shuttle and Shuttle-C.</font><br /><br />Energia was the equivalent to Shuttle and Shuttle-C; Energia is dead. Shuttle has no Shuttle-C; Shuttle is still (sort-of) flying.<br /><br />If NASA had split its efforts in the 1970's between Shuttle and Shuttle-C, you're right, it might have been just like Energia.

 

[mikejz]

Actually, it might have been better than Energia in the sense that Shuttle-C might have been designed with a reusable engine pod. <br /><br />Also, had STS been designed as both a cargo system (Shuttle-C) and a manned system (shuttle) the gross payload weight might have been reduced to say 50,000-100,000 lbs. As the DoD would of used the cargo varied for payloads and the manned version for maintenance. <br />

 

[publiusr]

There was a Shuttle-B program to place engines under the ET. This was the Block II shuttle concept of awhile back.

 

[ace5]

So it is right to say that there were no further soviet shuttles of the Buran series named Tayfun and Baikal?

 

[n_kitson]

No there were not.

 

[publiusr]

www.k26.com/buran

 

[ace5]

During an e-mail conversation with Vadim Lukaseviych he told me that any other name other than Buran were "unnoficial".

 

[publiusr]

Oh well.