Space Shuttle — Energiya-buran: The Soviet

: Some atmospheric test variants, like the OK-GLI , were equipped with jet engines that allowed them to take off from a standard runway under their own power for flight testing. The Maiden Flight

The program was primarily driven by military concerns—specifically the fear that the U.S. Shuttle could be used as a "space bomber" to target Moscow. However, following the in 1991, funding evaporated. Energiya-Buran: The Soviet Space Shuttle

On , the Buran orbiter (1.01) launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. It completed two orbits and successfully returned for a "picture-perfect" automated landing. To transport the massive orbiter, the Soviets developed the Antonov An-225 Mriya , which remained the largest heavy-lift aircraft in the world until its destruction in 2022. Demise and Legacy : Some atmospheric test variants, like the OK-GLI