Energia 1983 August - . LV Family: Buran. Launch Vehicle: Energia. OK-KS Buran systems test stand completed - . Nation: Russia. Spacecraft: Buran. The OK-KS Buran systems test stand was built at NPO Energia to conduct tests not possible on other stands. These included electrical layout, pneumo-hydraulic tests in abort conditions, EMI tests, failure mode response, telemetry, interface with the ...
It was an adaptation of the Energia launch vehicle, using two strap-on booster units instead of four, and a reduced-diameter core using a single RD-0120 engine instead of four. In the 1990's a structural test article was built and it was proposed that several Energia-M's be launched for commercial customers using surplus Energia components.
Energia as known to the West in 1988 This enormous program was actually several times bigger and more challenging than the Soviet moon program. Total development costs from 1976 to 1989 would exceed 14 billion roubles, almost five times more than the three billion roubles reportedly spent on development of the N-1. Some American practices were adopted. One was to carry the shuttle or other ...
Russian manned lunar base. Study 1988. In 1988, with development of the Buran space shuttle completed, Glushko ordered new studies on a lunar based that could be established using the Energia booster. Status: Study 1988. The more modest lunar expeditions would spend up to 10 days on the surface. Eventually the lunar regolith would be mined for He-3 for use in nuclear fusion power plants on ...
The end result would be the Energia launch vehicle and Buran space shuttle, with which neither the military or the Soviet engineering community was happy. A summary of their discussion provides fascinating insight into the opinions of the Soviet military-industrial leadership following the N1 debacle: