posted 02-20-2014 05:31 AM
Might the Buran space shuttle have had the same inherent problems as the US shuttle? Such as problems with foam, launching temperatures and loss of heat tiles?
cspg Member
Posts: 6210 From: Geneva, Switzerland Registered: May 2006
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 02-20-2014 08:24 AM
The Buran did not have a foam-covered external tank or segmented solid rocket boosters — it launched on the Energia booster — so in that regard it didn't have the same launch concerns as the U.S. space shuttle.
Buran did have heat shield tiles that were susceptible to damage, so that was a shared concern. But the pattern in which the tiles were installed was different, so the mechanisms for loss were different, too.