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#1
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06-11-2015, 11:20 AM
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 My Rank: SERGEANT Poster Rank:1096 Award: Longest nipples Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 597 Mentioned: 1 Post(s) Quoted: 145 Post(s)
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Russia’s Forgotten Space Agency
Photographer Ralph Mirebs visited an abandoned hangar near the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.It houses two prototype shuttles that were part of the ill-fated Buran shuttle programme. This was designed to mimic Nasa's successful Space Shuttles which flew for 30 years. But after one test flight in 1988 the main Buran shuttle and its other sister vehicles were scrapped In the 1980s, a little-known chapter in the space race took place when the Soviet Union attempted to build their own version of Nasa’s Space Shuttle. But despite a successful unmanned orbital test flight the Buran vehicles were soon scrapped amid rising budget cuts and left to rot in hangars. One of the Soviet shuttles was destroyed when its hangar collapsed in 2002, but two other models remain intact and have been pictured in a stunning series of photographs.              Engines at the front of the shuttle would have been used to help it maneuvre in orbit. Looking inside the shuttles, Mr Mirebs found that the interiors were missing some equipment, but otherwise still have their pilot seats, computer screens and more. The shuttles also have a cargo area similar to Nasa's Space Shuttles, where two large doors would have opened to release satellites into space or repair objects in orbit. However, the shuttles appear to be full of junk and rubbish, while their exteriors do not look much better. Despite the derelict nature of the hangar, though, the photographer says that he thinks that the programme had a ‘beneficial effect on the scientific and technical progress.' He added: 'Yes, most of them did not go beyond the drawings and models, but the ones that leaked through the sieve test and commissions received unlimited support.' ------------------------------- These are some of the best urbex photos I have seen. There is something really creepy about them. The fact that such a large and powerful shuttle could be left to rot is amazing. |
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#5
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06-15-2015, 02:14 PM
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| My Rank: LANCE CORPORAL Poster Rank:2023 Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 242 Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Quoted: 52 Post(s)
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Re: Russia’s Forgotten Space Agency
Badass. I miss those times when mankind was actually scratching its head, creating amazing works in the constant attempt at going beyond what had already been seen, or accomplishing more. Nowadays, people are creating apps in a so-called attempt at connecting people. The only thing this does is actually making people isolate themselves physically, while conencting virtually. Grand things do not exist as much, everything is virtual. Give me a space shuttle, a dam, a bridge, not an electric two-seat vehicle... |
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#7
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07-30-2015, 05:48 AM
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| My Rank: CORPORAL Poster Rank:1603 Female Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 346 Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Quoted: 41 Post(s)
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Re: Russia’s Forgotten Space Agency
what a waste of money tho and then to just let it sit there to litter and rot. Seriously tho, in some places, common folk get fined for littering or contaminating the environment, why does this not seem to be happening? But of course if they picked it all up there would be no need for this thread and there would be a bunch of disappointed people who love to look at this shit, so never mind!  |
