Buran (spacecraft)

Buran was a Soviet-era reusable spacecraft project, often described as the Soviet Union's answer to the United States' Space Shuttle program. Development began in the 1970s in response to concerns about the perceived military capabilities of the U.S. Space Shuttle. The Buran program aimed to provide the Soviet Union with its own flexible space launch and delivery system.

The Buran orbiter, also referred to as the "Buran" (Snowstorm), was the centerpiece of the system. Similar in appearance to the U.S. Space Shuttle, it was designed to be capable of automated flight, including landing. Unlike the Space Shuttle, the Buran orbiter was launched atop the Energia rocket, a powerful heavy-lift launch vehicle that was separate from the orbiter. This allowed the Energia to be used for other payloads.

Only one uncrewed orbital test flight of the Buran orbiter occurred, on November 15, 1988. The flight was a complete success, with the orbiter autonomously completing two orbits around the Earth and landing safely. Despite this successful test, the Buran program was plagued by cost overruns and ultimately fell victim to the economic difficulties of the Soviet Union and the subsequent dissolution of the USSR.

The program was officially cancelled in 1993. The Buran orbiter that flew the test flight was later destroyed in a hangar collapse in 2002. Several other Buran orbiters and related hardware were built but never flown in space. The Buran program represents a significant, though ultimately unrealized, chapter in the history of space exploration.