Remains of the Soviet Space Shuttle

Morbius · 19 Jan 2011 at 19:23

The Russian Shuttle programme spawned the Antonov An-225, the world's largest aircraft. It was designed to transport the Buran shuttle.

scrlk · 19 Jan 2011 at 19:30

Grimley said:
Pretty basic cockpit in that if you ask me.

Only one was competed, and that was destroyed in a hanger collapse back in 2002. The remaining ones are just unfinished shells.

trigger-happy · 19 Jan 2011 at 19:36

Man, this will be so cool if someone used this for a hideout.

Grandmaster Fap! · 19 Jan 2011 at 20:41

trigger-happy said:
Man, this will be so cool if someone used this for a hideout.

Dr Evil has already bought it for ONE MILLION DOLLARS and is using it to transport Preparation H to the moon.

Awesome photos, such a shame they didnt continue with it, who knows where them and NASA would be if they had the competition they had in the 60's.

Jokester · 19 Jan 2011 at 20:46

If I remember correctly the Buran made the first fully automated deorbit and landing.

rpstewart · 19 Jan 2011 at 20:47

Werewolf said:
It would have been great if they'd been able to at least offer the shuttle to a museum as it looks pretty amazing (and goes to prove that form follows function in how close it is to the US versions in basic shape/design).

There is one at the Technik Museum in Speyer, Germany.

Rameses · 19 Jan 2011 at 20:59

Russia and rust don't half go well together.

What a waste, when they give up on something they...give up. Plenty of usage for all that material there I think.

"andy" · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:06

Vinni3 @H|H said:
It launched on only one occasion, and it was unmanned.

and iirc it went round the world a few times then landed on the runway a cm or so away from the centre strip. good work by the commies

orderoftheflame · 19 Jan 2011 at 22:14

Some good links here.

Am I right in thinking that the only one that was finished and actually flew was destroyed when the hanger it was stored in fell into disrepair and collapsed on it?

Edit: NM, Just seen Vinni3's post.

PermaBanned · 19 Jan 2011 at 22:18

"andy" said:
and iirc it went round the world a few times then landed on the runway a cm or so away from the centre strip. good work by the commies

Indeed, if it wasn't for Korolyov's unfortunate death then the Russians may well have won the space race.

Tefal · 19 Jan 2011 at 22:23

think of the scrap value of that place :eek:

send in the gypos!

The Halk · 19 Jan 2011 at 22:24

The saddest thing is that the Space Race was only done as a way to keep the population of USA/Russia happy during the cold war.

Cosimo · 19 Jan 2011 at 22:24

Tefal said:
send in the gypos!

They've already been and are now in Siberia.

Nash · 19 Jan 2011 at 23:14

There's one (or at least a full size model of one) on the banks of the river Moskva in Moscow.

Tom0 · 19 Jan 2011 at 23:17

GJ02 said:
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The song whilst the landing is showing is awesome!

Cosimo · 19 Jan 2011 at 23:23

Nash said:
There's one (or at least a full size model of one) on the banks of the river Moskva in Moscow.

It's a model:

Combat squirrel · 19 Jan 2011 at 23:23

It was a fantastic piece of machinery, far superior to the space shuttle, shame it all ended.

Cosimo · 19 Jan 2011 at 23:30

Tom0 said:
The song whilst the landing is showing is awesome!

Have some more:

Macro · 19 Jan 2011 at 23:30

If nothing else it's fantastic proof of the effectiveness of cold war spy networks and I suppose justifies in part the paranoia on both sides.

Macro · 19 Jan 2011 at 23:31

Combat squirrel said:
It was a fantastic piece of machinery, far superior to the space shuttle.

Really? In what way?