Molniya Buran OK-GLI Atmospheric flight test prototype

In 1974, after failure of the N-1 Lunar rocket, the Soviet military preferred a new family of modular following the loss of space race to America. In 1976, the Ministers of the USSR launched the program of the reusable spacecraft system. The former OKB-1 bureau was restructured to NPO Energia enterprise that in charge of the program development. The U.S. shuttle design was studied by Russian scientists and the obvious choice was a straight aerodynamic copy of it. The military specification was issued at the same time with the code name Buran. MiG was selected as subcontractor to build the orbiter. For this purpose, MiG spun off a new design bureau, Molniya. The construction of the shuttles began in 1980. In 1984, for working up the most responsible flight phase, the flight test prototype Buran OK-GLI was constructed. It was fitted with four AL-31 jet engines mounted at the rear. This Buran could take off under its own power for flight tests. It performed 24 flight tests and provide handling characteristics information of the orbiter design