Soviet Buran Space Shuttle: Declassified Satellite Imagery Reveals Development Secrets

By Dwayne A. Day and Harry Stranger
Monday, February 17, 2025

The Soviet Union’s ambitious space program in the 1970s aimed to rival NASA’s achievements. They developed the N1 rocket to compete with the United States in the lunar race. However, the fourth N1 launch failure in 1972 led to the program’s suspension and the demise of the launch site near Moscow.

Despite these setbacks, by 1974, it became apparent through American satellite surveillance that the Soviet Union was no longer focused on the N1 rocket. Instead, they were engaged in constructing a new heavy-lift launch vehicle, signaling a shift in their space ambitions.

Four years later, in the mid-1970s, satellite imagery revealed significant changes at Baikonur, the Soviet Union’s sprawling launch complex in Kazakhstan. Intelligence analysts soon concluded that the Soviets were actively working on two major projects: a new heavy-lift rocket and a space shuttle similar to NASA’s renowned shuttle.

During the late 1970s, American satellites detected fresh construction at Baikonur, including a new large runway designated for a spaceplane. In 1980, no large crane was visible at the airfield. However, by 1981, a crane identical to the one in Moscow was erected, visible here in summer 1982 used for removing space vehicle components from carrier aircraft. (credit: HEXAGON photo via Harry Stranger)

Eyes Overhead

The Soviet Union was a highly secretive society during the Cold War. While the US utilized a multitude of sources for intelligence, photo-reconnaissance satellites were the most effective tools to gather information about Soviet weapons systems. Documents were hard to obtain, espionage was challenging, and communications could be encrypted; however, there was no hiding construction or the movement of large rockets and spacecraft from overhead surveillance.

By 1980, American intelligence established that the Soviets were building not only a new heavy-lift launch vehicle but also a space shuttle to challenge NASA’s space shuttle program. In May 1978, satellites spotted new construction at Baikonur, which was identified as a launch pad for the new rocket (which later served as a test stand) by August 1979. Around the same period, construction began on a large airfield at Baikonur that was suspected of being for landing a spaceplane.

In 1981, the Soviets initiated work on a twin-bay facility, believed to be for servicing an orbiter. By 1983, launch vehicle/pad compatibility testing confirmed the nature of the vehicle under development. Finally, in December 1984, satellites captured images of two space shuttle orbiter vehicles at a Soviet airfield, indicating the extensive and costly nature of the Soviet space shuttle program.

New evidence was uncovered in 1981, with satellites identifying similar construction activities at both Baikonur and a sprawling airbase outside Moscow. Key discoveries included the installation of large cranes at both locations.

The airbase near Moscow, known to the Soviets as Zhukovsky and to the CIA as Ramenskoye, was the equivalent of Edwards Air Force Base, where new aircraft were flight-tested. No large crane was visible in satellite photos in summer 1980. It appeared in 1981 and was used for lifting rocket components in 1982. (credit: HEXAGON photo via Harry Stranger)

The Cranes Appear

The airbase outside Moscow, known as Zhukovsky, was commonly referred to as Ramenskoye by the CIA. It was the Flight Research Institute (LII), the Soviet equivalent of Edwards Air Force Base, a crucial site for testing new aircraft. This base was busy in 1981, with satellites spotting several new aircraft: the RAM-J (Su-25 Frogfoot ground attack aircraft), RAM-L (MiG-29 Fulcrum), and RAM-P (Tu-160 swing-wing strategic bomber).

Another notable discovery at Ramenskoye in 1981 was a large structure consisting of two horizontal beams with a central connector, a lifting device capable of transporting large objects. This apparatus mirrored those used by NASA to attach space shuttle orbiters to their 747 carrier aircraft. A nearly identical crane was also detected at Baikonur near the airfield built in 1979.

Declassified satellite photos from 1980 to 1982 show the appearance and growth of these cranes. In July 1980, Ramenskoye had no visible structure, but by June 1982, the crane was fully operational. Similarly, June 1980 images of Baikonur show no such structure, but by June 1982, it was in place.

The first significant test flight of an item related to the rocket program at LII occurred in January 1982, typically a period when Moscow is often shrouded in clouds. By December 1982, the Soviets began transporting major components from Ramenskoye to Baikonur, marking a critical phase of the program.

The large crane was used for lifting Energia rocket components or the Buran space shuttle orbiter atop a Myasishchev M-4 bomber. Later, the An-225 Mrya aircraft took over the transport role. originally top secret satellite photos like these were only released decades after the Cold War. (credit: “Myasishchev M-4 and 3M: The First Soviet Strategic Jet Bomber,” Peter Gorin and Dmitriy Komissarov)

The first test flight at LII for the new rocket program took place in January 1982, coinciding with a period when Moscow is typically cloud-covered, reducing visibility for satellites. The first transport from Ramenskoye to Baikonur occurred in December 1982, involving the forward and aft covers of a rocket’s liquid hydrogen tank, as odd-looking as a bird carrying an egg.

Initially, an M-4 bomber transported rocket components and the shuttle orbiter. Later, the An-225 Mrya, a massive aircraft, took over, though it was destroyed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The June 1982 satellite image of Ramenskoye reveals large objects under the big lifting device, though the low resolution prevents identification. By this point, satellite imagery probably captured preparations for the transport of significant hardware to Baikonur.

The Energia rocket made its debut launch from Baikonur in May 1987. The Buran space shuttle, carried on the side of an Energia rocket, had one and only one unmanned flight in November 1988. Due to its costs, the program was quickly grounded.

Without new launches or tests, traffic between Baikonur and Ramenskoye ceased. The remnants of the Energia and Buran sit largely untouched in Kazakhstan, occasionally visited by urban explorers.

Special thanks to Harry Stranger for acquiring the Cold War satellite images. His website is https://spacefromspace.com/

Dwayne Day can be reached at [email protected].

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