Energia - Buran Space Transportation System

[World B4]

Transporting Buran and Energia: Soviet Space Logistics

From camouflaged barges to record-breaking aircraft, a deep dive into how Buran orbiters and Energia stages were transported to Baikonur.

fiftyonepointsix.com

 

[Fibonacci]

Buran, when it was still Baikal. March-April 1988.

 

[Fredders]

This article is a good starting point, I probably have more but I'd have to find it first, I'll try to do that tomorrow.

These things interest me. I wonder who I'd have to ask to get some better photos.

 

[Fibonacci]

Buran #3 (Izdeliye 2.01)
Some news from Verkhnyaya Pyshma Museum: Buran's house is almost glazed...!

 

[Fibonacci]

Some video captures...

 

[Fibonacci]

A magnificent model of the Energia-Buran space system at the Konstantin Tsiolkovsky State Space Exploration Museum (Kaluga).




Fantastic image of the Buran's cargo bay, weeks before its maiden flight in November 1988.

 

[KRRRL]

Hello again.
Is there any image or diagram of the frame that was supposed to be used to secure SPK jetpack in the cargo compartment of the Buran?

 

[Fibonacci]

Hello again.
Is there any image or diagram of the frame that was supposed to be used to secure SPK jetpack in the cargo compartment of the Buran?

You mean to the Buran's Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU or SPK in russian)?
This is what I could find on the web. Greetings!

 

[KRRRL]

You mean to the Buran's Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU or SPK in russian)?
This is what I could find on the web. Greetings!

View attachment 787540

View attachment 787541

Yeah, this thing.
But as you can see it just connected to the side of cargo compartment, without any support equipment.


That's for example how MMU was stored on shuttle:

 

[Fibonacci]

A beautiful model of the Energia-Buran space complex at the VDNKh Park, the All-Russian Exhibition Centre (Moscow).

 

[Fibonacci]

The Russian Zvezda 21KS "space motorcycle," fastened to one end of the Mir's Kvant-2 module.

 

[Fibonacci]

The Buran landing, November 1988, from an unusual view!

 

[Fibonacci]

I think this image has already been published, but I have tried to improve it as much as possible.

 

[Fibonacci]

 

[Fibonacci]

Buran #2 (Izdeliye 1.02).
For testing the shuttle's power supply system and practicing emergency evacuation of the crew. May 1991.

 

[DoggoVision]

This article is a good starting point, I probably have more but I'd have to find it first, I'll try to do that tomorrow.

Hi, its been quite a while but im getting back into the topic. Do you happen to have this info anywhere? Thank you very much for the past info youve given btw

 

[Incarn]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1795226703016439977

Посмотреть: https://x.com/WDequid/status/1795226703016439977
​

Footage from the International Space Station taken by cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov. Plus a 3D model of the Buran.

 

[Incarn]

Well it's a pity that those charts are not online (at least I haven't seen them...). I have tried several times to communicate with Vadim, but without any answer from him! The Energia-Buran system is a technological marvel, but it is very difficult to find detailed info about their systems, even in Russian language. There is information, but it is distributed, so you have to do some detective work to put the puzzle together. But hey, it keeps us entertained.

[email protected]

 

[Incarn]

Random Buran questions of the day:

- The US Shuttle had way more black thermal protection tiles applied at various points on the forward part of the orbiter (notably a patch between the main cockpit windows, in a band above the RCS thrusters etc). Buran didn’t have any of these; was there a specific reason why this choice was made?

- Do we think it’s likely that the TPS arrangement on Buran would have changed/evolved if flights had progressed as intended? It’s intriguing to think what evolutions the orbiters may have gone through had the programme continued.

- On a related note…why did OK GLI sport various paint jobs? It started out mostly white before the unique black “shroud” was painted around the crew cabin section. Any specific reason why this was done, seeing as it would have made no difference to the performance of the vehicle?

Following the Buran's maiden flight, the thermal protection pattern on the second-series aircraft (items 2.01, 2.02, and 2.03) was changed. This applies to the composite carbon-carbon wing and nose cone leading edges, ceramic tiles, and flexible thermal protection mats on the vertical stabilizer, upper wing, and fuselage.
For more details, see my article http://www.buran.ru/other/NK2018-12_buran.pdf

 

[Incarn]

Здравствуйте, хотел бы узнать, откуда взялась информация о наличии спойлеров на элевонах кораблей второй серии? Например, на ОК-2.01 (фото) спойлеров нет 100%. И нигде нет ни фотографий, ни письменных упоминаний о спойлерах.

И как они вообще должны работать, если их будут закрывать тепловыми экранами, когда элевоны подняты всего на несколько градусов? (То есть их нельзя будет использовать во время захода на посадку и посадки)

Бураны второй серии

http://www.buran.ru/other/NK2018-12_buran.pdf

 

[NMaude]

Nonsense—the shuttle couldn't perform a fully automated, unmanned spaceflight. An automated, unmanned flight, including an automated landing, requires a different architecture (the degree of integration of all onboard systems) and control system algorithms.

No, the Space Shuttle was intentionally designed so that it needed pilots to land it.

 

[Incarn]

Most books on the program seem to include one. And every such list is slightly different from the other

But the most useful/accurate ones imho are:
1. a 1987 Ministry of Aviation Industry list of all airframes and test stands, probably the most comprehensive overall but the descriptions are rather laconic and other sources mention a couple more articles/classify them slightly differently (message above this one) - this list only mentiones *airframes*, while others tend to assign one cabin module an airframe designator
2. a 1992 "distribution of ships" document, which appropriates orbiters or their parts between NPO Energia and NPO Molniya. It only mentions some of the orbiters (presumably ones that were already delivered by Molniya someplace else), but mentions specific segments of test articles, which is very useful
3. mid-fuselage assembly drawings (from buran.ru) and the MAP list are the only ones that mention an extra airframe (0.16)
4. and Lozino-Lozinskiy's "Aviatsionno Kosmicheskie Sistemy" offers a partial list of test articles, but with a great breakdown on what testing was done on each segment of the articles that stayed at Molniya
5. Aviatsionno-Kosmicheskie Sistemy and Semyonov's "Mnogorazovyi Orbitalnyi Korabl 'Buran'" also have pretty good lists of cabin modules/pressure vessels

Vadim Lukashevich's 2018 NK article is also a great summary of what happened to the airframes after work on the program stopped

For a more recent (updated) list of the remaining ships, see http://www.buran.ru/other/35_years_Igor-Afanasyev.pdf

 

[Incarn]

Hello, I would like to know where the information about the presence of spoilers on the elevons of the second series ships came from? For example, there are 100% no spoilers on OK-2.01 (photo) And there are no other photos or written mentions of spoilers anywhere

And how they even should work, if they will be covered by heat shields, when the elevons are up by just several degrees? (So they can't be used during final approach and landing)

Data on the interceptors on the second series ships is from my article http://www.buran.ru/other/NK2018-12_buran.pdf, written based on the working documentation.
The interceptors extended from the upper surface of the elevons, turning them into adjustable flaps.

 

[Incarn]

both statements are unsubstantiated. No existing data or engineering knowledge supports the claims.

You are wrong: the solid fuel emergency rescue system of the OK-92 spacecraft, with a mass of 20 tons, developed a thrust of 470 ton-forces.

 

[Incarn]

We have completed many years of work on creating the most detailed 3D model of the 11F35 spacecraft, and now I can show you what the second series of the spacecraft look:

 

[Fibonacci]

We have completed many years of work on creating the most detailed 3D model of the 11F35 spacecraft, and now I can show you what the second series of the spacecraft look:View attachment 791264

Hello Vadim, impressive work! And as always, contributing valuable information. It's a pleasure to see you back here.

 

[publiusr]

We have completed many years of work on creating the most detailed 3D model of the 11F35 spacecraft, and now I can show you what the second series of the spacecraft look:View attachment 791264View attachment 791266View attachment 791267View attachment 791268View attachment 791269View attachment 791265

That is a thing of beauty. Was is MPC START that did the 1/288 models!

I hope this becomes available as a 3D print.

 

[Incarn]

Instrument panel on the rear wall of the cabin module, on the cargo compartment side:

 

[Incarn]

Kinematics of the upper directional antenna ONA-1:

 

[Incarn]

The result is as follows (the equipment of the cabin module on the starboard side is hidden):

 

[AGS-1787]

The result is as follows (the equipment of the cabin module on the starboard side is hidden):View attachment 791316

How did the ejection seats work? In tandem?

Instrument panel on the rear wall of the cabin module, on the cargo compartment side: View attachment 791300View attachment 791302View attachment 791303View attachment 791301View attachment 791304View attachment 791305View attachment 791306

This is stunning work!

 

[KRRRL]

Бураны второй серии

http://www.buran.ru/other/NK2018-12_buran.pdf

Спасибо, но что по поводу фото самих элевонов?

Я так понимаю они либо не от второй серии (хотя вместе с ОК-2.01 перевозились), либо конструкция интерцепторов немного отличается от того что вы показали


Thanks, but what about the photos of the elevons themselves?

I understand they're either not from the second series (although they were transported along with the OK-2.01), or the interceptor design is slightly different than what you've shown

 

[Incarn]

How did the ejection seats work? In tandem?

This is stunning work!

two seats on one rail, sequential operation

 

[DoggoVision]

Hi, does anyone have any information on the Buran's information displays? I mean the VKUs. I have searched practically everywhere for them, and this forum has been the greatest help so far. Any info about them would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Fibonacci]

Instrument panel on the rear wall of the cabin module, on the cargo compartment side: View attachment 791300

Magnificent and impressive work, Vadim! I wonder how many hours of effort went into these 3D models, all to keep the Buran shuttle alive and relevant —at least virtually. But there's one question I haven't been able to figure out: what kind of instrument is this one (indicated by the arrows) that seems to be made up of 'two inclined cylinders'? Could it be the device known as 'Infrared Local Vertical Sensor or PMV'? Thanks in advance!

 

[Fibonacci]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1989289941021663663

 

[Incarn]

Showing the kinematics of the lower directional antenna (OНA-2):

 

[Incarn]

This morning (European time), one of my posts was deleted by a moderator with the following explanation:
‘There's no room for public 1-vs-1 flight. You shouldn't use the word “you” in your post. If this behaviour doesn't stop, the next step will be reply bans.’

I am responding publicly:

Firstly, I have no intention of insulting or offending anyone — the conversation is about a technical topic, without getting personal.

Secondly, English is not my native language, and I use automatic translation. It turns out how it turns out.

Thirdly, if you don't like my answers here, I can leave myself. But I don't think that will benefit the topic of ‘Buran’.
For example:

 

[publiusr]

Thank you for doing this. I value your contributions.

That a docking hatch in the nose?

 

[Incarn]

Thank you for doing this. I value your contributions.

That a docking hatch in the nose?

This is currently in development (the next stage in the development of Buran) – the Bolid space-based strategic strike system.