Just in case anyone didn't know, the Buran was the Soviet answer to the American space shuttle. While it did look almost identical to the American shuttle, it did have some unique features, most notably the ability to be remote-controlled by a ground station.
Two of these shuttles were build in the mid-1980's, but the whole project was abandoned after the collapse of the USSR. The first shuttle to fly into space was destroyed when its hangar collapsed in 2002. Today, all that's left are a few mock-ups quietly rusting in factories in Kazakhstan.
So, suppose in the early 1990's, the Yeltsin government, hard up for cash, decides to put the Buran on the market. Who'd buy it? I think the Chinese and the Europeans might be interested in such an investment. Any thoughts?
Two of these shuttles were build in the mid-1980's, but the whole project was abandoned after the collapse of the USSR. The first shuttle to fly into space was destroyed when its hangar collapsed in 2002. Today, all that's left are a few mock-ups quietly rusting in factories in Kazakhstan.
So, suppose in the early 1990's, the Yeltsin government, hard up for cash, decides to put the Buran on the market. Who'd buy it? I think the Chinese and the Europeans might be interested in such an investment. Any thoughts?