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Related pages:
Energia-Buran launch facilities
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Above: A fully assembled Energia rocket with a flight-worthy Buran orbiter (in background) and components of its first stage (in foreground) were mothballed in Baikonur, until the roof collapse of the assembly building destroyed this unique hardware. Different versions of the Energia rocket:
Base Energia rocket (two booster stages) tech dossier:
Energia development cooperation:
Energia development chronology: 1976 Feb. 17: Central Committee of the Communist Party and the Soviet of Ministers of the USSR issued a combined decree #132-51, officially launching the development of the Energia-Buran system. (52) 1976 Dec. 12: The Chief Designer at NPO Energia approves the preliminary design concept of the Energia-Buran system. 1976 Dec. 18: The Military Industrial Commission of the Soviet of Ministers of the USSR finalised the industrial team involved in Energia-Buran development. 1977 July: Concil of Chief Designers and Scientific-Technical Council of the Ministry of the General Mashine Building (NTS MOM) approved the addendum to the prelimanry design of the Energia-Buran system. 1977 Nov. 21: The Soviet government issued a decree detailing major stages and activities in the development of the Energia-Buran system. 1978 March: The industry completed the techninical project for the Energia-Buran development. 1979: A full-scale mockup, designated EUK13, of the Energia rocket is was assembled in the processing building at Site 112 in Baikonur. It included a core stage, a strap-on booster stage and an interface launching platform. 1982 January: Minister of General Mashine Building appointed B. I. Gubanov as a head of Energia-Buran development. 1982 Jan. 6: The first test flight of the VM-T aircraft carrying Energia rocket's hydrogen tank externally. 1982 December: The processing personell in Baikonur conducted experimental assembly of the test version of the Energia rocket designated 4M. 1987 May 15, 21:30 Moscow Time: The first Energia super booster (Number 6SL) is launched from Site-250 in Baikonur carrying a Polyus military payload. The rocket performed flawlessly, however, Polyus orbital maneuvering system fired in the opposite direction due to the control system problem causing the payload to fall in the ocean. 1988 November 15, 06:00:02 Moscow Time: The Energia super booster carrying unmanned Buran reusable shuttle blasted off from Baikonur. 206 minutes or two orbits later, the Buran automatically landed at the Yubileiniy airfield at Site 251 in Baikonur. 1993: The Energia project is discontinued with five vehicles still available, including two at the launch site and remaining at TsSKB Progress in Samara. 2002: Components of the Energia rocket are destroyed in the roof collapse in Baikonur.
Page author: Anatoly Zak; Last update: April 10, 2013 All rights reserved
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PICTURE GALLERY
The Energia rocket with the Polus "battle station" is being loaded on its transporter-erector in preparation for the launch in May 1987. Copyright © 2001 RussianSpaceWeb.com
The Energia rocket with the Polus is being installed on the launch pad at Site 250 in preparation for the launch in May 1987. Copyright © 2001 RussianSpaceWeb.com
A fully-assembled Energia booster with the Buran reusable spacecraft sits mothballed in the assembly building Number 112 in Baikonur. Copyright © 2001 Anatoly Zak
View of the tail section of the Energia's core stage with four main engines. Copyright © 2001 by Anatoly Zak
A fully-assembled Energia-Buran system is rolled out from the assembly building integrated with a platform, which provides all interfaces between the vehicle and the launch complex. Copyright © 2001 by Anatoly Zak
The main engines of the Energia's core stage. Four engines were powering the Energia rocket. A single engine would be sued in Energia-M version of the vehicle. Copyright © 2001 Anatoly Zak
The RD-170 engine powered the first stage of the Energia rocket. Click to enlarge: 300 by 400 pixels / 56K Copyright © 2005 Anatoly Zak
A scale model of VM-T Atlant aircraft designed to transport the elements of the Energia-Buran system. The aircraft was converted from Myasishev's 3M startegic bomber. In shown configuration the aircraft carries hydrogen tank of the Energia's core stage. Copyright © 2001 by Anatoly Zak |
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