It is now generally accepted that Russia is the outsider of world leaders in the field of microelectronics and software, and in many respects this, unfortunately, is true. During the time of thoughtless worship of the West, Russia has largely lost its scientific and technological potential and is now forced, literally, by leaps and bounds to catch up with the leaders. And in many respects we have caught up with Western countries, and in some places we have even taken the lead.
30 years ago, despite the assurances of the liberals, things were different. The USSR was the leader in the development and practical application of high technologies. And perhaps one of the most striking examples is the Energia-Buran space system. And although there was only one flight, it clearly showed the superiority of the Soviet Union. Much of what “Buran” was capable of, the Western space industry is not even able to repeat even now.
Firstly, the first flight took place in automatic mode. The flight proceeded normally, but during landing there were difficulties caused by unexpectedly changed weather conditions. The landing of "Buran" was controlled by the automatic system "Vympel", unique for our time. On the ground, they were waiting for a landing, but here, instead of the planned landing approach from the southeast, the ship turned sharply and began to approach from the northeast direction. The Buran's maneuver came as a surprise to the commission. It was suggested that the automation had failed. There were even proposals to blow up the ship.
Subsequently, analyzing the landing of "Buran", experts came to an unambiguous conclusion: the automation has chosen the best solution. After analyzing the current weather conditions, the automatic control system independently calculated a new trajectory, and made a perfect landing! Now they would say that the ship was controlled by artificial intelligence. In the West, many did not believe (however, they do not believe even now) that this was possible and argue that the Buran was controlled by the crew on board.
Secondly, "Buran" was originally designed as a combat ship, and it fully corresponded to its purpose. The ship could carry powerful, including nuclear weapons. Since the spacecraft was launched into space by an independent launch vehicle, the fuel supply on the Buran allowed the space shuttle to repeatedly dive into the atmosphere and re-enter near-earth orbit. Unlike the American Shuttles, the Buran had a crew rescue system. At a low altitude, the crew could eject, and in the event of an emergency situation at the start, the ship itself could shoot back.
The legacy of Energia-Buran still finds its practical application. For example, RD-180 engines are supplied to the USA. In terms of its characteristics, Energia surpasses the famous carrier rocket of the Saturn-5 lunar program, so the Energia-Buran system could well have implemented both the USSR's lunar and Martian programs thirty years ago.
Promotional video:
But the Soviet Union did not exist, as did the unique space system. On May 12, 2002, "Buran" died under the collapsed roof of the assembly and test complex at the Baikonur cosmodrome. However, Russia has plans to revive the program of reusable ships. This is exactly the task that Dmitry Rogozin set in March 2018.