Buran (spacecraft)

1:01 Buran (Russian Буран for Buran - German: Snowstorm ), was the only space shuttle used for an orbital flight ( GRAU index 11F35 K1) from the eponymous Soviet space shuttle Buran project of the program. The Space Shuttle was similar to the U.S. Space Shuttle, but they had eg no separate thrusters such as the Space Shuttle ( SSME ). In order ultimately to achieve an orbit engines were at the end of the launch used similarly as in the U.S. shuttle OMS. The shuttle should also be equipped with jet engines that would bring back during an approach to land the space shuttle in the atmosphere, targeted to a base in the Soviet Union. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the program was, for financial reasons, set; it remained the only unattended applications. After a ceiling collapse an assembly hall on 12 May 2002, this orbiter was then completely destroyed.

History

1:01 Buran was built in 1986 as the first spaceflight suitable space shuttle Buran of the program. Originally, the Baikal ferry was named (Russian Байкал after Lake Baikal ) and renamed a few weeks before the scheduled first flight in Buran.

After the necessary carrier rocket Energia has been tested successfully on May 15, 1987, took place on 15 November 1988, the first and only start of the Buran - Energia - Buran orbiter system with the 1:01. The unmanned flight was successfully completed with an automatic landing after two orbits.

In June 1989, Buran was exhibited at the Paris Air Show on a transport aircraft Antonov An-225 mounted.

After completion of the program in 1993 Buran was " MIK -112 " stored in the assembly hall at the spaceport in Baikonur on a Energia mock-up mounted. Due to inadequate maintenance their ceiling construction had already suffered greatly due to weather. In an attempt at repair on 12 May 2002 it came crashing down the hall ceiling of the hangar, which Buran Energia and the mock-up were completely destroyed. It also eight members of the repair crew died. Lack of money the collapsed assembly hall remained unrepaired for years. Only in 2006, first repair attempts were started ( 45 ° 55 ' 41 "N, 63 ° 17' 53 " O45.92805555555663.298055555556 ).

1K1, the only orbital flight

Preparations

The space shuttle for the 1K1 - test mission was built in the Tushino factory in Moscow, transported to Moscow, there is loaded onto a ship and taken to a military airfield. Parts of the heat shield and the vertical tail and the Orbital Maneuvering System there were added. Mounted on a Mjassischtschew World Cup T- carrier aircraft transportation was on to the Baikonur Cosmodrome after, in the hall further structural testing, completions and start preparations took place.

In the summer of 1988, Buran was brought to the assembly hall and connected to the second built Energia. On October 10, 1988, the aircraft was brought and raised up to the launch site. Then on the ramp, extensive tests were carried out by ferry. The starting date October 29, 1988 was provided. The countdown to the start was normal for the computer to start breaking off 51 seconds before lift-off due to a technical error. A new start attempt was placed on 15 November 1988.

Mission History

November 15, 1988 managed the launch of the unmanned spaceship, and Buran took off at 3:00 UTC from Baikonur. After two minutes and 45 seconds, the boosters of the Energia were dropped. Eight minutes after the start of the central stage was dropped after it was burned out. Now several firings of the Orbital Maneuvering System were carried out in order to bring the ferry in a stable orbit.

This was achieved and two hours and 20 minutes after the start was performed, the brake ignition, and the re-entry into Earth's atmosphere began. 400 km off from Baikonur Buran flew to navigation signals from the ground and landed again, automatically controlled at 340 km / h in Baikonur. On landing three parachutes were used. The planned touchdown point was missed here only about three meters from the side and ten meters in the direction of flight.

After the renovation work, the space shuttle has been brought back into a hall, where she was worked up for another flight. In the follow-up it was found that seven heat protection tiles had fallen off during the flight, but posed no threat to the flight.

Planned missions

Originally another start for 1993 was planned, which should have a flight duration of 15 to 20 days. After the program has been stopped, but it was not to be.