Buran new home, is now in Germany |
Buran new home, is now in Germany |
Apr 10 2008, 09:38 PM
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#1
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2922 Joined: 14-February 06 From: Very close to the Pyrénées Mountains (France) Member No.: 682 |
This is an "unmanned" Topic on the Manned section of Unmannedspaceflight
Buran resting place will be in southern germany : http://www.space.com/news/080409-buran-germany.html -------------------- |
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Apr 11 2008, 07:36 AM
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#2
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 4279 Joined: 19-April 05 From: .br at .es Member No.: 253 |
Great!
I'll have to find some spare time during my next trip to Germany to see it again. I was once on that museum, it's really a "must see", and it will be nice to meet Buran again. I saw it for the first (and only) time at the Le Bourget exibition many many years ago. Edited: I looked around for information from other sources and the "bird" going to the museum is not really Buran (i.e. the one flown to space) but the test article used for approach and landing, like "Enterprise" was for the STS program. |
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Apr 11 2008, 01:17 PM
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#3
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Member Group: Members Posts: 753 Joined: 23-October 04 From: Greensboro, NC USA Member No.: 103 |
Yup. This is the sad fate of the "real" Buran - cockpit windows are in the lower half of the frame.
-------------------- Jonathan Ward
Manning the LCC at http://www.apollolaunchcontrol.com |
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Apr 11 2008, 02:50 PM
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#4
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Interplanetary Dumpster Diver Group: Admin Posts: 4404 Joined: 17-February 04 From: Powell, TN Member No.: 33 |
This Buran, "OK-GLI," was a test vehicle that made several test flights much akin to the U.S. Space Shuttle Enterprise. It had already been retired at the time of the Buran orbital flight. It was a rather interesting bird. Unlike the Buran that orbited, it had jet engines, so it could fly to high altitudes under it's own power (unlike Enterprise) and then descend as if it was coming in from orbit. It flew with a crew at least 25 times. Sadly, Ilbasso is right about the fate of the Buran orbiter. Due to lack of maintenance, a warehouse roof collapsed on it, destroying it. Worse, 8 warehouse employees were killed.
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Apr 11 2008, 03:34 PM
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#5
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8784 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
What a tragic loss...the poor employees and also history.
I'm mad as hell, but don't know who or what to be mad at, if anyone or anything. There was so much chaos and poverty after the Soviet Union fell...dammit. Just a crying shame, is all. -------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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Apr 11 2008, 03:44 PM
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#6
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1018 Joined: 29-November 05 From: Seattle, WA, USA Member No.: 590 |
I don't know. Check out these two articles on MSNBC this week:
How the Soviets Stole a Space Shuttle http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18686090/ How the Soviet Space Shuttle Fizzled http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18686550/ It ends with this: Gherman Titov, the second man in space after Yuri Gagarin and never a supporter of such a huge, duplicative project, was more direct. “It would be better if we just cut it up for scrap ... for that is all that it is worth.” --Greg |
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Apr 11 2008, 04:13 PM
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#7
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8784 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Good links, Greg, and the best synopsis of the story of Buran I've read; thanks!
All I was bemoaning is the neglect that led to deaths and the inability to preserve a unique artifact from an odd chapter of the history of space exploration. I hope that when the Shuttles retire that they are protected and preserved properly unlike this (and, although less extreme, better than many of the Apollo artifacts have been treated over the years). -------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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Apr 11 2008, 08:19 PM
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#8
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2922 Joined: 14-February 06 From: Very close to the Pyrénées Mountains (France) Member No.: 682 |
Great! I'll have to find some spare time during my next trip to Germany to see it again. I was once on that museum, it's really a "must see", and it will be nice to meet Buran again. I saw it for the first (and only) time at the Le Bourget exibition many many years ago. Edited: I looked around for information from other sources and the "bird" going to the museum is not really Buran (i.e. the one flown to space) but the test article used for approach and landing, like "Enterprise" was for the STS program. I've seen Entreprise at Le Bourget. It was the Year Mc Enroe stoped playing at Rolland Garros while Entreprise was flying overhead (on her 747). BTW, sorry for this not precise enough reporting... even if it's not that bad to see a test article. -------------------- |
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Apr 17 2008, 11:13 AM
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#9
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 66 Joined: 8-November 05 From: Australia Member No.: 547 |
"How the Soviets Stole a Space Shuttle"
"How the Soviet Space Shuttle Fizzled" What utter rubbish. Reading these biased hachet-jobs, one would think that the Buran orbiters were some sort of stolen xerox-copy of the US Shuttle. That is complete nonsense. The Buran orbiter was an aerodynamic copy of the Shuttle because that is what the customer (Soviet Military) wanted, ie a like-for-like equivalent of what they believed would be a strategic weapon system. From the outside it looks very similar (especially to technically-challenged journalists) but internally the Buran was engineered indigenously using Soviet technology & engineering practises. This shoddy and parochial "journalism" is just another example refusing to give the Soviets appropriate recognition for their acheivements. Mean spirited and petty, some people just don't get that the Cold War is over. |
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Apr 17 2008, 11:19 AM
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#10
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 66 Joined: 8-November 05 From: Australia Member No.: 547 |
While we are on the subject, does anyone have any info on the 2nd planned spaceworthy orbiter, often referred to as Pitchka or "Little Bird"?
Last I heard, it had been completed to 98% of flight readiness. Russia has apparently given it to Kazakstan in repayment for debts, and it remains somewhere at Baikonour Cosmodrome in mothballed condition. Now THAT would make a fabulous museum exhibit! |
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Apr 17 2008, 06:38 PM
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#11
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 56 Joined: 6-September 05 From: Paderborn, Germany Member No.: 484 |
What I know is, that one of the Buran Orbiters (finished or unfinished, I don't know) now is a home for 4-5 families. I've seen it in a german documentation about Baikonur.
I've added a screenshot from that documentation. -------------------- --- Under Construction ---
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Apr 17 2008, 07:30 PM
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#12
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Member Group: Members Posts: 648 Joined: 9-May 05 From: Subotica Member No.: 384 |
I've added a screenshot from that documentation. Do you have that "documentation" somewhere on internet? Perhaps a link to it? My interest in astronomy & astronautics dates back to 1986. Buran was my "first love". I literally felt in love with that piece of art they called Energiya-Buran when I first saw it.....all that potential laid to waste. DAMN!!!! Now when I see what has happened to it I cannot shake of this feeling of loss like I lost dear friend or something like that.... I try not to read or wright anything about Energiya-Buran anymore but I guess I just can't help it sometimes.... <EMOTIONS> Sorry for my English..... -------------------- The scientist does not study nature because it is useful; he studies it because he delights in it, and he delights in it because it is beautiful.
Jules H. Poincare My "Astrophotos" gallery on flickr... |
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Apr 17 2008, 07:45 PM
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#13
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 56 Joined: 6-September 05 From: Paderborn, Germany Member No.: 484 |
I've got it recorded to my computer. Since stage6.divx.com is down, I've never seen it on the web again. That documentation is called "Weltraumbahnhof Baikonur" and was also available in french, called "Le cosmodrome de Baikonur". Maybe you can find it somewhere on the web, but I don't know where to start searching.
-------------------- --- Under Construction ---
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Apr 17 2008, 10:20 PM
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#14
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1229 Joined: 24-December 05 From: The blue one in between the yellow and red ones. Member No.: 618 |
Look on the bright side, Toma, you may have lost a friend, but you've gained "4 - 5 families".
-------------------- My Grandpa goes to Mars every day and all I get are these lousy T-shirts!
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May 16 2008, 08:34 PM
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#15
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 23 Joined: 16-May 08 Member No.: 4112 |
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