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It's a bit more than similarity. Watch the launch video of the Buran and you'll see it executes a roll shortly after take-off. Why does it do that? The American
by kobeya 9y ago
It's a bit more than similarity. Watch the launch video of the Buran and you'll see it executes a roll shortly after take-off. Why does it do that? The American space shuttle performs that exact roll at that exact height because the orientation of pad 39A at Cape Canaveral is wrong and it corrects as soon as it clears the tower. The Buran launches from a different tower at a different latitude with a different height at a different orientation... but it performs _exactly_ the same roll. I'll let you draw your own conclusions.
- plugger 9y agoMy conclusion is that you've got no idea what you're talking about! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roll_program https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roll_program
- kobeya 9y agoFrom your link: > During the launch of a space shuttle, the roll program was simultaneously accompanied by a pitch maneuver and yaw maneuver. It's the STS-specific pitch and yaw I'm talking about. And specifically that it happened at the height it would happen at the Cape, whereas energia had a different tower design that would have allowed the roll to happen earlier, for better efficiency.
- sitharus 9y agoThat's not surprising at all, and would be required even if Buran was developed completely independently to STS. Without that manoeuvre the engines would thrust off-axis due to the side-mounted payload. It's easier to compensate for off-axis pitch than yaw when you have gravity to account for. For Soyuz launches on the other hand they physically rotate the launch pad.
- exDM69 9y agoAll space craft perform a roll program to align with the selected launch azimuth, which is chosen for a specific orbital inclination and launch site latitude. Without roll, all spacecraft from a launch site would be placed on similarly inclined orbits which would be useless.
- exDM69 9y agoAll space craft perform a roll program to align with the selected launch azimuth, which is chosen for a specific orbital inclination and launch site latitude. Without roll, all spacecraft from a launch site would be placed on similarly inclined orbits which would be useless.
- dahauns 9y agoWhich launch video are you talking about? The only ones I was able to find don't show enough material to see post-take-off maneuvers.