![]() ![]() ![]() The Enterprise was attached to the modified Boeing 747, flown to a specified height and released to glide back to earth. Again, the Russians did things differently. ![]() The atmospheric model was their equivalent of the Enterprise shuttle, which never flew in space but was built for atmosphere testing. But after just 24 flights, this vehicle was damaged and unable to fly again. Later they moved on to one-fifth scale models of Buran, then to a full scale atmospheric model to test the glide and landing abilities. Similar to NASA's approach, the Soviets began with experimental aircraft, the MiG 105 - 11 'Spiral' experimental manned orbital aircraft (Experimental'nyj Pilotiruemyj Orbital'nyj Samolet - EPOS), which flew in 1977/78 and helped in the development of the Soviet Space Shuttle. Although allowance for some scientific research was also included into the project, the development of Buran was predominantly, another branch of the space race between the USA and USSR. The Soviet government began designing Buran in 1976 as a response to NASA's shuttle programme, and although NASA's goal was the further exploration of space, the cheaper launch of satellites (which never really materialised) and to carry out space science, the Soviets' primary goal was to carry nuclear weapons into orbit. But they probably won't think of the Russian space shuttle, Buran. Ask people about the space shuttle and they think of NASA, the American space programme, the International Space Station, Challenger, Columbia and possibly an obscure Star Trek reference 1. ![]()
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