What Happened To Russia’s Space Shuttle Program?

Originally posted by ResearchMan
reply to post by BoneMosaic

 

Are you Alex Jones? If not then please remove your picture and stop posting.

I don't know what you're talking about champ. I'm assuming you think my avatar is Alex Jones? It's Bill Hicks. Is that the reason for the extremely agitating reply?

If so, get your Sh!t straight before you attack someone.

reply to post by SLAYER69


Slayer, your thread was phenominal. I always loved the shuttle so much. When it came to your video, I was afraid to watch it because the last time I watched the shuttle, thats the day it blew up and I could never get over it. But I calmed myself and actually completely watched your video and tears welled up in my eyes, because the shuttle is an icon, a love, a success, and great pride of our nation and our people. Also the music was great.
Again, thank you slayer for not only making my day, but helping me take that frightening step forward and knowing it is ok.

reply to post by Pervius


Very interesting photos, electro-magnetic propulsion system?

I find it hard to believe that the U.S. government did not continue to conduct research for a nuclear propulsion system.

Maybe they found a way to use EMF pulses created in nuclear detonations to power an electro-magnetic drive.

Nobody seems to consider how small a nuke detonation could be. I can't even think of any science fiction novels which explore the concept of miniature nukes.

It seems that this would be the way the Orion nuclear propulsion program would have taken.

Thanks for posting.

Originally posted by hp1229
I think the world knew when the first atomic bomb was detonated that there has to be an adversary with equal might otherwise the military might will be imbalanced. There were deliberate attempts on both sides to offset the technology and balance the technological power so no one country can have it all.

Precisely. All you have to do is watch the old James Bond movies to see this 'hidden camaraderie' in action

But then NASA says...

United States-Soviet Space Cooperation during the Cold War

The Space Age spawned two outstanding space programs as a result of the hot competition between the United States and the Soviet Union. Both countries gave primary emphasis in their space efforts to a combination of national security and foreign policy objectives, turning space into an area of active competition for political and military advantage

The bumpy U.S.-U.S.S.R. relationship in the years between 1957 and 1991 often was characterized by periods of mistrust and overt hostility (e.g., the U-2 incident, Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War, Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and President Ronald Reagan’s depiction of the Soviet Union as an “evil empire”). Periods of détente, in contrast, led to the Limited Test-Ban Treaty in 1963, the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty in 1972, and an emerging U.S.-Soviet rapprochement during 1985-1991. Throughout this political roller-coaster period of history, both countries increased areas of coop-eration, including space, as a symbol of warmer relations

www.nasa.gov...

But at the time it was more convenient to let people think they were the commie pinko bad guys... and they told their people we were capitalist pigs while they drove Mercedes, ate the finest caviar and lived in those old palaces of the Tsars

Originally posted by SLAYER69
reply to post by SpartanKingLeonidas

 

Now that's a very interesting reply..

That does seem odd.
checking out the info now

Any luck on digging deeper into the information I supplied?

I have not had the time to post anything more in depth and or relevant.

Sorry, too busy kicking down physical doors, and taking no prisoners.

BTW I hear NASA lost a very expensive satellite today due to another malfunction. Which reminds me of what we discussed earlier about the failed russian launch and commentary about "human interference".

A month ago Russia tried to launch another satellite with similar characteristics and it also failed because it couldn't reach the orbit. Now this happens to an american satellite.

I'm surprised I'm the first to see this strange coincidense.

Thank you Slayer for that awesome information. I had heard about this a while back but never really looked into it. It is unfortunate that circumstances did not allow a U.S.A./U.S.S.R. joint venture to combine forces and really accelerate space development progress. Another thing that you brought to mind was that the U.S. Air Force had built or were going to build a couple of Space Shuttles and they were going to be blue in color. I will need to do some research. S&F for you!!

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/fad6b2c8de3e.jpg[/atsimg]


[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/398019e48bed.jpg[/atsimg]

and here's a pic to remember the infancy of the U.S. Space Shuttle Program. Enterprise in its protective coccoon:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/9b16bc2506f7.jpg[/atsimg]

Probably got scrapped along with the Daedalus program
After Mars got terraformed

to the copycat posters - aerodynamics laws are applyed to all crafts, space shuttle isn't so unique in that...
what amazed me most in fact about buran - it's a solving autolanding (correct me if i'm wrong ) for the first time even for aircrafts, not for such cool space craft even... i talked with some aerodynamic modelling guys at TzAGI, that was watching this bird learned to fly there... and they said me that whole hell is laying in last 10meters or so... very hard to compute a right responce... if i got it right - there are even some rumours that some of their code/programmers was used in creating later an airbus autolanding algorhytmes, now standard feature of their commercial aircrafts... but such sucessfull auto flight/landing was a big and total win in unmanned flight possibility at all... for all mankind...
there was also very good reading about that landing in some russian flight history mag... it was a story from one of that landing's escort fighter pilot... he was really sweat to follow automatic beast in quite non-manuverable interceptor MiG-25.... most fun was a comment on that reading from my fella, who solo flight demos in aerobatic team on MiG-29.. he was wowed by making a "stall flat turn" on MiG-25 in order to follow Buran's automatic decision... my friend said it takes a fantastic skill to make such things on MiG-25 - a raw speed heavy interceptor, almost a heavy rocket with wings made just to still call it a plane.

Very interesting thread, Slayer! Who would have thought that the Soviet Space Shuttle was so similar to the US counterpart? Furthermore, that this device was a success on its first space flight and completely automated from mission control is absolutely astounding! I have always been under the conclusion that the Soviets fielded a lot of junk to compete with the US? However, after reading this thread, perhaps; we were wrong and with the capital limitations of the communist system they could pack quite a punch on a shoestring budget? It seems the success of this project came a day late and a dollar short?

When the success took place in 1988, there was political upheaval in the Soviet Union and Perestroika was not going over well. It is a shame that this fine piece of hardware got destroyed in that mysterious hangar collapse in Kazakhstan, and long after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Surely, the Soviet government of old or the current Russian Federation would have taken the necessary measures to ensure that such a vital lynch pin of the Russian space program would have been transported to a secure location in Russia proper for possible development in the future? It is very perplexing that this device was left in Kazakhstan for so many years by Russia and to be destroyed in a hangar collapse?

reply to post by Jakes51


I keep thinking of insuruance money when I see the pics of their shuttle all smashed. Could also have been a sabotage in some sort of protest against Moscow. Until the Russians release their findings all is just speculation.

Might not have been Buran in that hanger Ptichka is still intact... Maybe that was one of the other non space models they put in there.

Did you know that they could stick jet engines on it and it could fly itself?

OK-GLI (Buran Analog BST-02)


Russian version of the space shuttle. This model was fitted with 4 jet engines to test the aerodynamic qualities. It could take off and land by itself.

There was a time that these were for sale. I will have to find that link

The old MAKS Russian Space Plane might be new again - 2010.0

reply to post by zorgon


As always the info is appreciated.

Ptichka (Russian: Пти́чка, IPA: [ˈptʲitɕkə], Little Bird) is an informal nickname for the second space shuttle to be produced as part of the Buran program. It was never officially named. It is also known as Shuttle 1.02. It is distinguishable from the other shuttles by a red framework attached to the top of its cargo bay doors.

Construction of the second orbiter started in 1988, and although the orbiter was closest to being completed of any of the Buran shuttles (after the Shuttle Buran), it was never finished. The program was officially canceled in 1993, at which point the shuttle was 95-97% complete.

Status

Ptichka is currently the property of Kazakhstan, and is located in the MIK building at Baikonur Cosmodrome.

en.wikipedia.org...

So... one is Ptichka... which one is the second one?

Originally posted by zorgon

That reminds me of these....

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/a09a6ec6d416.jpg[/atsimg]

The wingless, lifting body aircraft sitting on Rogers Dry Lake at what is now NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, from left to right are the X-24A, M2-F3 and the HL-10.The lifting body aircraft studied the feasibility of maneuvering and landing an aerodynamic craft designed for reentry from space.

And

The X-24A flew from April 17, 1969 to June 4, 1971. The M2-F3 flew from June 2, 1970 until December 21, 1971. The HL-10 flew from December 22, 1966 until July 17, 1970, and logged the highest and fastest records in the lifting body program.

Source


[align=center]The Real Crash behind [The Six Million Dollar Man][/align]

reply to post by SLAYER69


Maybe in the severely cash strapped days of the Russian Federation, it was probably easier and cheaper to manufacture an accident to reap the insurance benefits as you speculate? I would think they have the blueprints somewhere to rebuild to spec or to improve the earlier design. Then, the shuttle could have been a cruel reminder of Soviet control of Kazakhstan, and some locals took it upon themselves to get rid of the eye sore? Similar to what was done to other Soviet monuments left behind in their former satellites after the collapse. It is still odd that this machine was not removed before the collapse of the USSR, or at the earlier inception of the Russian Federation. Looking back on its operational success, and through very difficult maneuvers; I would think of it as being valuable.

At the very least, it could have been on display in some aerospace museum. It is hard to figure out what Boris Yeltsin and his mobbed-up Oligarch advisers were thinking during the early days of the Russian Federation between shots of Vodka, military hardware mysteriously vanishing from weapons depots, and gangland shootings in the streets?

Since it happened in 2002, then Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, probably didn't care since war was being waged in the Caucasus, threats of terrorism, setting up a totalitarian control structure, economic uncertainty, disrupting mafia interference to his rule, and other issues that appeared to take more precedence than some space shuttle in the hinter lands of Kazakhstan? I am surprised that the findings in the report have been elusive, and it certainly brings to the forefront something sneaky may have been associated with the demise of the Buran space craft? Again very interesting story, and what an impressive piece of hardware!

reply to post by SpartanKingLeonidas


I read it then had a reply written out then I had to hard boot my system after a lock up losing what was written and forgot to rewrite it, later I got involved with some other topics, tweaked some noses, kicked over some chairs and table myself.

Originally posted by Jakes51Then, the shuttle could have been a cruel reminder of Soviet control of Kazakhstan, and some locals took it upon themselves to get rid of the eye sore? Similar to what was done to other Soviet monuments left behind in their former satellites after the collapse. It is still odd that this machine was not removed before the collapse of the USSR, or at the earlier inception of the Russian Federation. Looking back on its operational success, and through very difficult maneuvers; I would think of it as being valuable.

You are forgetting something... Baikonur Cosmodrome is still in Kazakhstan. It is still Russia's main space port . So I would assume theyt made a deal with Kazakhstan

Originally posted by zorgon

Originally posted by Jakes51Then, the shuttle could have been a cruel reminder of Soviet control of Kazakhstan, and some locals took it upon themselves to get rid of the eye sore? Similar to what was done to other Soviet monuments left behind in their former satellites after the collapse. It is still odd that this machine was not removed before the collapse of the USSR, or at the earlier inception of the Russian Federation. Looking back on its operational success, and through very difficult maneuvers; I would think of it as being valuable.

You are forgetting something... Baikonur Cosmodrome is still in Kazakhstan. It is still Russia's main space port

. So I would assume theyt made a deal with Kazakhstan

edit on 6-3-2011 by zorgon because: (no reason given)

Thanks for clearing that up for me! I was unclear of what capacity if any the Baikonur Cosmodrome facility was in operation? I thought it must have been abandoned if that collapse happened? Apparently, I was wrong in that assumption. Now, that we are talking about how essential this sight is to Russia's space program, I find that hangar collapse even more suspect. Again, thanks for your input, Zorgon!