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The Buran programme was an attempt by the Soviet Union to construct an orbital spaceplane to perform similar functions to the Space Shuttle. Similar to the Space Shuttle programme, an aerodynamic prototype and a number of operational spacecraft were planned for the Buran programme, which were known as "Buran-class orbiters".

Test flights

The aerodynamic testbed OK-GLI was constructed in 1984 to test the in-flight properties of the Buran design. Unlike the American prototype Enterprise, OK-GLI had four AL-31 turbofan engines fitted, meaning it was able to fly under its own power.

The list does not include taxi tests without takeoffs. All of these missions were landed at the Gromov Flight Research Institute test base.

Launches and orbital flights

The first operational orbiter, Buran flew one test mission, designated 1K1, on November 15, 1988 at 6:00:00 Moscow time. The spacecraft was launched uncrewed from and landed at Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Kazakh S.S.R. and flew two orbits, traveling 83,707 km (52,013 mi) in 3 hours, 25 minutes (0.14 flight days). Buran never flew again; the program was cancelled shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In 2002, the Buran orbiter was destroyed by the collapse of the hangar in which it was stored.

Cancelled missions

Planned in 1989

Planned in 1991

Due to shortening of the program and delays in second flight preparations, mission plan for second orbiter included almost all significant test tasks.

• automatic docking with Mir's Kristall module
• crew transfer from Mir to the shuttle, with testing of some of its systems in the course of twenty-four hours, including the remote manipulator
• undocking and autonomous flight in orbit
• docking of the crewed Soyuz-TM №101 with the shuttle
• crew transfer from the Soyuz to the shuttle and onboard work over the course of twenty-four hours
• automatic undocking and landing

See also

• List of Space Shuttle missions

References

1. "Buran Orbiter". Molniya Research & Industrial Corporation. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
2. "Spaceshuttle BURAN". TECHNIK MUSEUM SPEYER. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
3. ^ "Buran Analogue". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on April 25, 2002. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
4. ^ Zak, Anthony (16 November 2013). "BTS-002 / OK GLI". Russian Space Web. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
5. ^ "OK-GLI chronology (in russian)". Retrieved 10 April 2020.
6. Hendrickx, Bart; Vis, Bert (2007). Energiya-Buran: the Soviet space shuttle. Springer. p. 349. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-73984-7. ISBN 9780387739847.
7. Hendrickx, Bart; Vis, Bert (2007). Energiya-Buran: the Soviet space shuttle. Springer. p. 356. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-73984-7. ISBN 9780387739847.
8. The New Book of Popular Science. Vol. 1. Scholastic. 2008. p. 257. ISBN 9780717212262.
9. Hendrickx, Bart; Vis, Bert (2007). Energiya-Buran: the Soviet space shuttle. Springer. p. 388. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-73984-7. ISBN 9780387739847.
10. Whitehouse, David (2002-05-13). "Russia's space dreams abandoned". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
11. Felicity Barringer (November 16, 1988). "Soviet Space Shuttle Orbits and Returns In Unmanned Debut". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
12. "Soviet shuttle". Christian Science Monitor. 17 November 1988. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
13. "Russia starts ambitious super-heavy space rocket project". Space Daily. 19 November 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
14. "Циклограммы полета "Бурана" 15 ноября 1988 г." www.buran.ru.
15. Lukashevich, Vadim. Экипажи "Бурана": Несбывшиеся планы [The Crews of "Buran": Unfulfilled Plans]. Buran.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 5 August 2006.

• Spaceflight

• Buran program
• Lists of space missions