Re: Criticisms of previous NASA programs


The first (and only) flight of Buran was unmanned.

Yes, but is was more modern craft than STS-1 Columbia in 1981.
Columbia had a design problem in the RCS and would no have survived
automatic reentry. The pilot switched off the automatic and saved
the mission. That was not published then but I expect the Soviets
got some input from the US experience anyway.

It was published very quickly after it happened, considering the paper
writing and reviewing cycle time. Search the Dryden archives for
papers by Iliff (and Maine, I think).

Mary, after the book of your husband ("Runway to Orbit") was discussed here
some noted that event as "news". For me it was too. I apologize!


I mean, everyone knew the second flight was being hand-flown in
re-entry well before it launched. That was hardly unpublished. When
you put something in the press kit it's pretty public. The Soviets
were sure to have noticed.

Mary "I have great admiration for the Soviet aerospace community."

For me the Buran was quite a surprise. I expected only a small
spaceplane like we saw in the Indian Ocean. What time did you hear
of Buran? What time do you think US intel got about it? In 1982
Buran seemed probably too unthinkable to care much about any posible
benefit the Soviets could get from shuttle data?

--
Mary Shafer Retired aerospace research engineer
We didn't just do weird stuff at Dryden, we wrote reports about it.
reunite.gondwana@xxxxxxxxx or miliff@xxxxxxxx
Visit my blog at http://thedigitalknitter.blogspot.com/


## CrossPoint v3.12d R ##
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Ferrari Lacking Mechanical Grip
    ... known how teams spy on each other anyway. ... the Soviets had their "Buran" space shuttle (a better idea ... While the Space Shuttle rode on the back of a meager Boeing ...
    (rec.autos.sport.f1)
  • Re: Waiting for controversy...?
    ... The Soviets never wanted to look like followers. ... didn't go to the moon second either. ... an anecdote isn't the same as bullshit. ... Buran didn't replace anything because it failed. ...
    (sci.space.shuttle)
  • Re: Trust But Verify ...
    ... > The Buran had been detected only by chance; the Soviets did not realize ... > overflown the test center where the Buran was being built, ...
    (sci.space.history)
  • Re: Trust But Verify ...
    ... > The Buran had been detected only by chance; the Soviets did not realize ... > overflown the test center where the Buran was being built, ...
    (sci.space.shuttle)