Energia-M: fresh photoset from Baikonur

[1greywind]

Another link I must to share. Author of unique photoset of survived Buran's hardware also visited the full-size stress-test mockup of Engeria-M (downscaled version of the meighty Energia launch vehicle):

http://ralphmirebs.livejournal.com/220278.html

Vehicle mass: 1050t

Payload to LEO: 34.0t

Payload to GTO: 7t

I must note that despite visible familiarity with Ariane V this launch vehicle uses liquid-powered boosters, not SRB.

Edited June 26, 2015 by 1greywind

[Kryten]

Should be noted this is either a dynamic-sesting vehicle or a fitting-check mockup, there were no Energia-M flight vehicles produced.

[Albert VDS]

What I'm wondering is; why are these buildings still standing and their crafts still in it?

When the money stopped did they just think, let's leave and never return again?

[Robotengineer]

What I'm wondering is; why are these buildings still standing and their crafts still in it?

When the money stopped did they just think, let's leave and never return again?

Perhaps they forgot to hit New Craft. That photographer is either awfully risky or he had permission to go there. Really nice pics.

[Streetwind]

What I'm wondering is; why are these buildings still standing and their crafts still in it?

When the money stopped did they just think, let's leave and never return again?

Baikonur Cosmodrome is in the middle of nowhere. It's literally cheaper to just randomly plop down a new building than figuring out how to properly dispose of old stuff. Also, back then, when the Soviet government said "do not spend any more money on this", then you did not spend any more money on it, period. You spent completely different money on something completely different.

[smjjames]

Perhaps they forgot to hit New Craft. That photographer is either awfully risky or he had permission to go there. Really nice pics.

Looks pretty risky whether or not he had permission. No telling how strong those stairs and platforms are.

[1greywind]

What I'm wondering is; why are these buildings still standing and their crafts still in it?

When the money stopped did they just think, let's leave and never return again?

What do you prefer - let kazahs to sell it for scrap like they did with Sary-Shagan or Semipalatinsk testing ground facilities?

[Kryten]

That'd probably be for the best, and what's going to happen anyway when the lease ends. There's no way these facilities will be used given the shifts to Plesetsk and Vostochny.

[imaspacestation]

This was the one that was supposed to boost the Buran? Why does the digital painting one have a NASA flag on it?

[smjjames]

This was the one that was supposed to boost the Buran? Why does the digital painting one have a NASA flag on it?

And ESA, I'm actually wondering about that too.

[Kryten]

This was the one that was supposed to boost the Buran?

That was the full Energia, which flew. Energia-M was a post-soviet attempt to preserve the technology by producing a Proton replacement, which would have potential for commercial use.

Why does the digital painting one have a NASA flag on it?

Presumably it's been mocked up for some ISS delivery mission.

[andrewas]

This was the one that was supposed to boost the Buran? Why does the digital painting one have a NASA flag on it?

This was Energia-M, a much smaller rocket intended to re-use Energia components and preserve the infrastructure. This was built at the end of the soviet era, I would guess the artwork with the NASA and ESA logos was produced after the fall, in the hope of getting some foreign payloads to fly, since the russians had nothing to justify a rocket that large.

[Kibble]

Energia-M is my fave rocket that never flew </3

Such a pragmatic use of legendary Energia hardware!

[DECQ]

This was Energia-M, a much smaller rocket intended to re-use Energia components and preserve the infrastructure. This was built at the end of the soviet era, I would guess the artwork with the NASA and ESA logos was produced after the fall, in the hope of getting some foreign payloads to fly, since the russians had nothing to justify a rocket that large.

Ahahahaha, it is a picture for the paper version has nothing to do with the original...............................................