#BURAN SHUTTLE SERIES#

It is not excluded that if necessary (for example if the attack order was cancelled) the remote manipulator system could reload bombs inside the payload bay for a later use. Considering the possible trajectories of bombs in the atmosphere (from 1100 to 1500 km) a striking module (loaded with 20 bombs) could destroy any life on a strip of 3 000 km. The dimensions of the Buran's payload bay allow the storage up to 5 bombs. On the drawing to the left is shown an animation where vessels (or bombs) are stored as in a revolver cylinder. The nuclear bombs must be placed in the payload bay on a rolling drum which would catapult them outside.

The military load of Buran was elaborated on confidential decision of the Committee of the Communist party of the USSR and the Cabinet of the USSR 'Study of the possibility of the creation of weapon for conducting hostilities in space' on 1976. The on-board systems were autonomous and borrowed from Buran.

#BURAN SHUTTLE SERIES#

On May 15th, 1987 the station 'Skif-DM' of about 80 t is launched by Energia LV, but gets damaged offshore due to a failure of the propulsion system.įor the destruction of important ground objectives was elaborated the space combat station on the basis of the series 17К ДОС and to which was added combat modules. However, because of the americans started their strategic project of defence (IDS) the works on 'Skif' continued. In august 18th, 1983, General Secretary of the Central committee of the Communist Party of the USSR Iury Andropov makes the demand that the USSR stops the development of all the space defence systems. After the transfer of 'Skif' from NPO Energia to KB 'Salyut' at the beginning of the 80s the heavy combat station 'Skif' is elaborated. The company responsible for the creation of the laser was 'Astrophysical' NPO - Soviet general company of lasers. Vessels are renamed and in 1990 the project is closed. However the project did not reached the flight tests. The factory of the experimental mechanical engineering industries (ЗЭМ) began the manufacturing under the numbers 129, 130, 131, 132, 133. Five flights of 'Cascade' were planned for the first stage 1986-88. The putting into orbit of 'Cascade' had to be made by the Progress vessel. At the beginning of the 90s due to the change of politics the researches in this domain were stopped, the divisions which had worked on these projects were dissolved.Īccording to other sources the 'Cascade' vessel was elaborated by the company of A.E. A not cryogenic fuel was used for these rocket and the miniaturization of on-board systems made them successful weapons. These rockets were specially studied in this task and possessed the same characteristics of trajectory and speed as inter-continental missile. To destroy the enemy missiles quickly and their warheads, NPO Energia planned the use of 'Cascade' and its antimissile rockets. Besides, the Cascades vessel must be put into orbit on a low orbit, whereas the second must be put on an average or geostationary orbit. To maintain the good functioning of the combat systems during long durations it was planned to send crews (2 people, up to 7 days), including by Soyouz spaceship.īecause the 'Cascade' vessel is lighter than 'Skif' (the laser armament is very heavy) allowed this vessel to take more fuel. Fuel tanks for the refueling were also put in orbit by Buran. Putting into orbit those spaceships was supposed to be realized by Buran (during the experiment by 'Proton' rocket launcher). Unlike the station, the service block had to contain a large number of fuel tanks to be able to make numerous operations in orbit.

The base of 2 devices became the unified block of service for the orbiting combat space station Polyus 17К ДОС. 2 spaceships was elaborated on a common base to fight spatial military objects, equipped by various types of weaponry, laser (as 'Skif') or of rockets (as 'Cascade'). In the years 70-80 were led the studies with the aim of defining the tasks to annihilate military spaceships, missiles in flight, as well as air, ground and maritime objectives, both at the level of the means of production and financialy. In the USSR this idea appeared in 1976 from the instigation of the Central committee of the Communist Party of the USSR and the Cabinet of the USSR (Study of the possibility of creating a weapon for the conducting hostilities in space). At the end of the 60s and at the beginning of the 70s the USA began to study the possibility of doing hostilities in space.

Buran shuttle