Buran-Energia

Here is some pictures of the launch pad 110 and 250 shot in 2006. To remind you, the 110 area was used to launch Buran in November 15, 1988, whereas the 250 area was used to launch Polyus in May 17, 1987.

Those 2 areas haven’t been used since then and are in a bad shape now.

Area 110:

Area 250:

The test shuttle OK-M was moved few days ago from the area 254, to be parked near the Baikonur’s museum (area 2). May be it will be restaured or stocked in better conditions.

Area 254:

Area 2:

Update of March 2:

Numerous projects were studied to use this mock-up and emphasize the heritage which it represents, but all failed because they required too important investments. In the second half of January the authorities, under the management of the first assistant Tomchuka V. R. of ФКЦ of Baikonur, finally decided to move the mock-up towards the Bailonur’s museum because it is the cheapest solution. The outside of the shuttle will be restored, a cabin with cosmonauts’ seats will be installed there and a showroom will be fitted out in the payload bay. It is a second life for this shuttle which takes place at the time of the twentieth anniversary of the Energia’s first launch (in May 17th, 1987).

Carriage:

Update of March 22:

Renovation work:

I added a new document Birds of a feather. Birds of a Feather? How Politics and Culture Affected the Designs of the U.S. Space Shuttle and the Soviet Buran. This work by Stephen J. Garber is very interesting because it shows the evolution of the orbital planes conception from the American and Soviet side as well as the various political and technical choices which led to such solution. Furthermore it shows clearly that the development of Buran was not due to a scientific need but indeed to balance the military forces between the 2 sides.

I have just added a new chapter to the site which speak about the available documentation on the project Buran-Energia. I begin with the publication of a work grouping together the technical documentation of the NPO Molniya company (master builder). Very complete work on the Buran shuttle and the MAKS shuttle.

Here is some unsorted pictures of the Baikonur’s facility, production machines, Buran’s test chamber (oven to test the Buran’s heat chield), and a Buran’s period scheme.

I published a page about the Buran’s motor unit. It is constitued by the main engines, at the rear, and by the gas precision steering system.

I published a new page about the mechanism of the Buran’s onboard computer and a little introduction on the onboard computers on the soviets spaceships.

New photos on the Buran-Energia project, in the Buran’s pictures section:

• Carriage on the Energia’s top tank by the VM-T Atlante plane.
• Assembling of the first stage boosters.
• Tests on Buran and Energia on the launch pad, at this stage the shuttle is not finished yet.
• Carriage of Buran and Energia on the launch pad.
• Preparation for the flight.
• Storage of Buran 1.01 after its first flight.