30 - year anniversary of the Space Shuttle Bashny.Net

A selection of photographs dedicated to the first flight of the space shuttle "Shuttle».



Total from 1975 to 1991, was built six shuttles: for the first space shuttle "Columbia", debuted in 1981, followed: in 1982 "Challenger" (died in 1986) in 1983 - "Discovery" in 1985 - "Atlantis", and in 1991 - "Endeavour", which lost Zemen "Challenger". To date, a fleet of shuttles has made more than 100 orbital missions. By March 2011, most of all flights - 39 - made the shuttle "Discovery».



Disaster "Challenger" 28 January 1986 made adjustments to the further development of the US space program. "Challenger" went into its last flight, paralyzing the entire US space program.

Dates of the next flight was repeatedly pushed back. The program was resumed only in 1990. Since then, the "Shuttle" regularly made space flights. They participated in the repair of the telescope "Hubble", fly to the station "Mir", the construction of the ISS.



By the time of the resumption of operations "Shuttle" in the USSR was ready to ship reusable largely surpassed the US. November 15, 1988 a new carrier rocket "Energy" brought into orbit the shuttle "Buran". He made two turns around the Earth, driven by the miracle machine guns, beautifully landed on a concrete runway at Baikonur, if a scheduled airliner "Aeroflot".



"Buran" equipped with all necessary systems and equipment for automatic and for manned flight. This navigation and control, and radio and television systems, and automatic control devices thermal regime, and subsistence of the crew, and much more.

The main propulsion system, the two groups for maneuvering engines are located at the end of the tail section and in front of the chassis.

"Buran" was a response to the US military space program. Because after the warming of relations with the United States, the fate of the ship was sealed.