11 ms·

Not quite accurate, the Russian space agenecy (and before that the Soviet) have tried several times to replace the Soyuz, without succeeding for various reason,

Not quite accurate, the Russian space agenecy (and before that the Soviet) have tried several times to replace the Soyuz, without succeeding for various reason, but the main reason is lack of resources. Right now it looks like maybe the Soyuz 5 rocket and the Federation capsule may make it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federation_(spacecraft) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federation_(spacecraft) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buran_(spacecraft) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buran_(spacecraft)

baybal2 8y ago
Soyuz 5 is effectively a man rated Zenith. Zenith is made in Ukraine, and that's the end of story.
- walkingolof 8y ago
  Its not, its a new design around a methane engine, its meant in certain configurations to replace Zenith and Proton, just like Angara, it greatly overlaps with Angara which makes many question that project. http://www.russianspaceweb.com/soyuz5.html http://www.russianspaceweb.com/soyuz5.html
  - baybal2 8y ago
    Nomenclature matters, the Soyuz 5 was a fatter Zenith integrated in Russia. The Soyuz 5.* line built around methane was originally a completely different project that was haphazardly renamed in order to conceal that the original Soyuz 5 programme went nowhere.
nine_k 8y ago
Buran was never intended as a replacement for Soyuz, I suppose. Buran + Energiya were more a replacement to Proton, and a Space Shuttle-like capability to build advanced weapons systems in space, which would require extensive human labor and maintenance. The space crew for these systems were intended to be armed with laser pistols, with prototypes produced: https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/satellites/a21527129/the-soviet-laser-space-pistol-revealed/ https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/satellites/a21527129/...
- lambdadmitry 8y ago
  I'm not sure if Buran ever had any purpose apart from keeping up with Joneses. I mean, look at its shape. Shuttle's (comparatively) huge wings are there for polar-once-around that military asked for; why does Buran have the same? I've never ever heard of a polar-once-around requirement for Buran, despite the design considerations being more or less in the open now.
  - gandhium 8y ago
    One of the Buran designers openly admitted that they were forced to copy Shuttle since it was 'already working'.

baybal2 8y ago

Soyuz 5 is effectively a man rated Zenith. Zenith is made in Ukraine, and that's the end of story.

walkingolof 8y ago
Its not, its a new design around a methane engine, its meant in certain configurations to replace Zenith and Proton, just like Angara, it greatly overlaps with Angara which makes many question that project. http://www.russianspaceweb.com/soyuz5.html http://www.russianspaceweb.com/soyuz5.html
- baybal2 8y ago
  Nomenclature matters, the Soyuz 5 was a fatter Zenith integrated in Russia. The Soyuz 5.* line built around methane was originally a completely different project that was haphazardly renamed in order to conceal that the original Soyuz 5 programme went nowhere.

nine_k 8y ago

Buran was never intended as a replacement for Soyuz, I suppose. Buran + Energiya were more a replacement to Proton, and a Space Shuttle-like capability to build advanced weapons systems in space, which would require extensive human labor and maintenance. The space crew for these systems were intended to be armed with laser pistols, with prototypes produced: https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/satellites/a21527129/the-soviet-laser-space-pistol-revealed/ https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/satellites/a21527129/...

lambdadmitry 8y ago
I'm not sure if Buran ever had any purpose apart from keeping up with Joneses. I mean, look at its shape. Shuttle's (comparatively) huge wings are there for polar-once-around that military asked for; why does Buran have the same? I've never ever heard of a polar-once-around requirement for Buran, despite the design considerations being more or less in the open now.
- gandhium 8y ago
  One of the Buran designers openly admitted that they were forced to copy Shuttle since it was 'already working'.