klaes@advax.enet.dec.com (Larry Klaes) (01/08/91)
The following message is from my friend, John Biro, who currently
does not have access to USENET. If you have any further comments or
questions on his posting, please feel free to send them to me.
-----------------------------------
Hi John Weeks,
I just returned from the Soviet Union and a Tour of Baikonur, FCC, Star
City, etc. I would like to comment on you questions about Buran.
>Article 7045
>From: john@newave.UUCP (John A. Weeks III)
>Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
>Subject: Re: Soviet Shuttle
>Date: 31 Dec 90 02:53:20 GMT
>Organization: NeWave Communications Ltd, Eden Prairie, MN
>>In article <1860.277D4ABB@fidonet.ieee.org> Terry.S.@fidonet.ieee.org writes:
> Whatever happened to the new Soviet Shuttle?
The second shuttle unit is under construction at Baikonur and
will be completed and flight ready before the end of 1991.
It is real: I kicked the tires, walked all over and under it, etc.
>The first Buran flew a mission during the summer of 1988. It was a
>remote-controlled flight, there were no human crew aboard. In fact,
>I have heard that Buran's crew cabin and life-support systems were not
>completed. It was strictly a test flight.
Yes, there was no life support system in the first flight of Buran.
Buran #2 is now being completed. The major difference from #1 is the
fact that it will have a life support system. The first unit was a
test flight, but the Soviets do not see it as a man-rated craft.
>Rumor has it that one of the leading edge wing heat shields (some type of
>carbon-fiber or graphite material) failed during the flight and allowed
>heat to damage the wing interior and structure.
There was little damage to the shields that I could see.
When I asked about cosmonaut Volk's comments on the Buran
landing, they told me this was an internal comflict between
having the Buran manned or unmanned (i.e., piloted or not).
>The next Buran mission is scheduled for the summer of 1991. Buran is
>set to dock with the Mir space station. There is an article in the
>current issue of "Popular Science" or "Popular Mechanics" (I cannot
>recall which) [It is the January Popular Science] with more details.
Yes, the Buran will be ready, but the actually flight will most likely
not be until early 1992. The reason is that the mission won't be ready,
thus your next question.
>According to an article in "Final Frontier", Buran has been on somewhat
>low priority because the Soviets feel that there is no real mission for
>a shuttle at the present. With the family of boosters that the Soviets
>currently have, the only type of mission that would require a Buran is a
>mission that returns cargo from space.
With 'free enterprise' comes competition, and this is true of Buran.
Several different missions are in competition for the first launch,
but the payload will not be ready until early 1992. The most likely
mission will be an unmanned launch, docking with MIR. The Crew or some
of the Crew of MIR may go onboard Buran and then undock and then dock
in a simulated rescue mission with a previously launched Soyuz unit.
However, before this can happen, the solar panels of the Crystal Module
have to be moved in a very long and difficult EVA, then the Crystal would
have to be moved back to the axial docking port on the docking ball. The
reason for this is the fact that the MIR 'telescopic' docking system can
only dock with Crystal, and it can only dock to the axial port. The solar
panels will be in the way.
As for returning cargo from space, NPO wants to use the Progress
robot return unit that they just demoed. I saw the Capsule at NPO.
The unit is quite small; however, it is a very inexpensive way to return
limited quanities. This should be good enought for semi-conductor
production lines, etc.
John Biro
Larry Klaes klaes@advax.enet.dec.com
or ...!decwrl!advax.enet.dec.com!klaes
or klaes%advax.dec@decwrl.enet.dec.com
or klaes%advax.enet.dec.com@uunet.uu.net
"All the Universe, or nothing!" - H. G. Wells