This news report appeared in Russia Today and has sci-fi fans positively drooling. Russian and American scientists are looking at reviving the Soviet-era Buran space shuttle program to replace the retiring American space shuttle program.
The Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavor are to be retired in 2010; the Orion orbiter is not expected to get off the ground until at least 2014, and is already rumored to be on the Obama Administration's list of programs to be cut.
(Adjust your volume downward at the beginning of this report, then adjust it to your comfort level).
If they can modernize the Buran design with today's technology, it would solve a lot of issues and could get off the ground relatively quickly. Buran had a larger cargo capacity as it didn't have a need for it's own engines--the Energia booster rocket provided more than enough lift to launch it into space.
Since the original Buran was destroyed in a hangar collapse in 2002, they would have to restart the program from scratch.
This probably won't happen, but it's a fascinating scenario. I like the idea.
2 comments:
This is purely speculation and won't happen. More informations about the Buran space shuttle.
You're probably right. If Orion survives the budgeting process, that'll be the way that NASA goes, though they'll lose the cargo carrying capacity of the current American shuttle program. I'd definitely be shocked if NASA took more than a brief look at this possibility.
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