After Buran's first unmanned test flight, the Energia programme in the USSR decayed from lack of funding. What POD after the ascension of Gorbachev could result in the Energia rocket remaining in production, evolving into new forms (Vulkan-Herkules, Uragan) and launching Buran over and over? What would the results be?
Post-Soviet Energia
- Thread starter Polish Eagle
- Start date
The Other Les
Banned
The basic problem with the American space shuttle was that it was a jobs program, we here in the states otherwise call a pork barrel project.
The Soviets did not understand this. They apparently believed that the shuttle had a military purpose and sought to copy it.
If the Soviets instead developed a two-stage to orbit shuttle it would probably be flying commercial flights. And maybe someone can start building solar power sats.
The Soviets did not understand this. They apparently believed that the shuttle had a military purpose and sought to copy it.
If the Soviets instead developed a two-stage to orbit shuttle it would probably be flying commercial flights. And maybe someone can start building solar power sats.
Wyragen-TXRG4P
Banned
Gorbatchev with a 9 mm third eye. He was the sworne ennemy of science and scientists.
In a sense, yes, but the Buran was not a copy, though similar in appearance. It was, to paraphrase Douglas Adams, almost, but not quite, entirely unlike the SS. For one, it didn't have engines, only thrusters. This freed up 5 tonnes of payload. The bay was larger, due to a more efficient internal systems arrangement. It had a full automatic suite (at the time, the SS didn't) allowing it to (theoretically) perform full missions on autopilot (if needed). It had a handful of safety improvements (the Soviets had acquired a copy of the full Challenger report).
I read some where that the Buran was designed shortly after the Sovjets lost the Moon race. It was a very revolutionair design. A Space shuttle lbrought at altidude and speed on the back of a supesonic mother plane and than lanched at high altitude fying with ramjets?? to higher orbit.
Like the Sanger concept of the 80ties.
The project was chanceled to unknown resons.
When the USA presented their Space Shutle, the Buran project was dusted of, only the Comunist bosses wanted to have shutle just as the Americans, despite that the original idea was was much more inventive.
Like the Sanger concept of the 80ties.
The project was chanceled to unknown resons.
When the USA presented their Space Shutle, the Buran project was dusted of, only the Comunist bosses wanted to have shutle just as the Americans, despite that the original idea was was much more inventive.
And, of course, Energia. Buran was just a payload for a 100-tonne-to-orbit launcher. This thread isn't about saving Buran, though that's bonus points. The point is to rescue the Energia launcher, and all its cargo and interplanetary/lunar applications.
Except, obviously, that the original Энергия was unreusable. It was only the second version (Ураган) that would have been entirely reusable (it would have also been about two and a half times more expensive, but overall service costs would have been lower). So, in order to rescue Energia, you actually have to stop R&D on it and concentrate on Uragan. Which would have only happened if the Buran programme went ahead. There are, after all, cheaper ways to lob a satellite into orbit.
that Ramjet craft was Spiral 50-50
http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/spil5050.htm
they build MiG 105-11 as Lifting Body testbed for Spiral 50-50
but Program run in technological problems & polical intrigue and was canceld
Energia start as RLA - Rocket Flight Apparatus
on same moment N-1 Rocket was canceld in 1974
http://www.astronautix.com/articles/keylight.htm
scroll to "1974 August 13 - Glushko briefed his new RLA launch vehicle family"
later it became Vulcan then Energia
Energia had survied the fall of USSR ?
sadly the project manager was one member of 1991 attempted putsch
Russia under Yeltsin had no mission or Rubels for Energia or Buran...
Well considering that the U.S Airforce effectively designed said shuttle, for potential military use (the original NASA Shuttle design was smaller, designed to carry personell only, had a totally different wing design based on the X-15's planform, & most importantly, was designed to be launched from the back of a manned reuseable carrier vehicle, i.e effectively a 2 stage to orbit design), & had Shuttle launch facilities constructed at Vandenburg Air Force Base (Effectively, a military Cosmodrome from the Soviet/Russian POV), it was obvious that to Soviet eyes, the Shuttle was military, & any "civilian" use was merely a cover for it's true function...
Thande
Donor
The problem is the breakup of the Soviet Union: the Energiya itself was made in Kazakhstan and the Zenit boosters were made in Ukraine. (Ironically for similar reasons as to why the US space shuttle parts are all made in different states - pork barrel politics as said above). It soon became politically impossible to get hold of either and bring them together, never mind the fact that Russia was too broke to consider such a big launcher - the commercial sector didn't need it and the ISS parts had already been designed to be launched on smaller launchers.
It's worth noting that while Buran was a basically pointless project that the USSR embarked upon purely to show up the USA by also having a shuttle, the Energiya launcher used separately had a vast number of potential uses. One that was mooted, for example, was the disposal of nuclear waste IIIN SPAAAACE.
It's worth noting that while Buran was a basically pointless project that the USSR embarked upon purely to show up the USA by also having a shuttle, the Energiya launcher used separately had a vast number of potential uses. One that was mooted, for example, was the disposal of nuclear waste IIIN SPAAAACE.