Editing Soviet space program (section)

===Buran===
[[Image:Buran on An-225 (Le Bourget 1989) (cropped).JPEG|thumb|right|[[Buran programme|Buran]] at airshow (1989).]]
The Soviet [[Buran program]] attempted to produce a class of spaceplanes launched from the [[Energia (rocket)|Energia]] rocket, in response to the US [[Space Shuttle]]. It was intended to operate in support of large space-based military platforms as a response to the [[Strategic Defense Initiative]]. Buran only had orbital maneuvering engines, unlike the Space Shuttle, Buran did not fire engines during launch, instead relying entirely on Energia to lift it out of the atmosphere. It copied the airframe and [[thermal protection system]] design of the US [[Space Shuttle Orbiter]], with a maximum payload of 30 metric tons (slightly higher than that of the Space Shuttle), and weighed less.<ref>{{cite web|title=Buran Space Shuttle vs STS – Comparison|url=https://www.buran.su/buranvssts-comparison.php#:~:text=But%20Buran%20is%20a%20little,off%20whereas%20Buran%20has%20no.&text=So%20the%20engines%20are%20on,nearly%20the%20same%20of%20STS.|access-date=2021-02-22|website=www.buran.su}}</ref> It also had the capability to land autonomously. Due to this, some retroactively consider it to be the more capable launch vehicle.<ref>{{cite web|last=Zak|first=Anatoly|date=2013-11-19|title=Did the USSR Build a Better Space Shuttle?|url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/rockets/did-the-soviets-actually-build-a-better-space-shuttle-16176311|access-date=2021-02-22|website=Popular Mechanics|language=en-US}}</ref> By the time the system was ready to fly in orbit in 1988, strategic arms reduction treaties made Buran redundant. On November 15, 1988, Buran and its Energia rocket were launched from [[Baikonur Cosmodrome]] in [[Kazakhstan]], and after two orbits in three hours, glided to a landing a few miles from its launch pad.<ref>{{cite news|last=Zak|first=Anatoly|date=November 20, 2008|title=Buran – the Soviet space shuttle|publisher=BBC|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sci/tech/7738489.stm}}</ref> While the craft survived that re-entry, the heat shield was not reusable. This failure resulted from United States counter intelligence efforts.<ref>{{cite web| first=Robert|last=Windrem | date=February 11, 2008|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna18686550|title=How the Soviet space shuttle fizzled|access-date=2023-01-04|website=[[NBC News]]}}</ref> After this test flight, the Soviet Ministry of Defense would defund the program, considering it relatively pointless compared to its price.<ref>{{cite web| title=Buran reusable shuttle|url=http://www.russianspaceweb.com/buran.html|access-date=2021-02-22|website=www.russianspaceweb.com}}</ref>