Westerners Shown Buran Facilities -- Who?

On Mon, 12 Jul 2004 15:43:56 GMT, "Jim Oberg"
wrote:

Some Russians are saying they just showed the
rebuilt Buran facilities at Baykonur to some
"visiting Westerners". Who were they,
and what were they really shown and told?



http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/0/28.html?id_issue=9718642

Foreign experts visiting Baikonur

BAIKONUR. July 7 (Interfax-Kazakhstan) - Delegations from the U.S.
company PanAmSat and the Russian-French joint venture Starsem are
deciding on what kind of rocket carrier to use to put a Galaxy-14
satellite into orbit and are choosing a launching pad for the launch.

"The companies' representatives will pay a visit to the Baikonur
center on July 7-9 to conduct a preliminary inspection of the
launching pads that could be used for this launch," a spokesman for
the Baikonur Federal Space Center told Interfax on Wednesday.

If the companies choose Baikonur, the Galaxy-14 will be launched on a
Soyuz-FG carrier rocket using a Fregat launch vehicle from the 31st
launching pad.

The launch is scheduled for late 2004 or early 2005.

I have to take this opportunity to ask (without beating the 'will
Buran fly again?' drum): WERE the other orbiters destroyed? Does
anybody have a clue???
How ironic it would be if OK-M, sitting outside in the dust and
weather, was the only one spared!



http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/0/28.html?id_issue=9718642

Foreign experts visiting Baikonur

BAIKONUR. July 7 (Interfax-Kazakhstan) - Delegations from the U.S.
company PanAmSat and the Russian-French joint venture Starsem are
deciding on what kind of rocket carrier to use to put a Galaxy-14
satellite into orbit and are choosing a launching pad for the launch.

"The companies' representatives will pay a visit to the Baikonur
center on July 7-9 to conduct a preliminary inspection of the
launching pads that could be used for this launch," a spokesman for
the Baikonur Federal Space Center told Interfax on Wednesday.

If the companies choose Baikonur, the Galaxy-14 will be launched on a
Soyuz-FG carrier rocket using a Fregat launch vehicle from the 31st
launching pad.

The launch is scheduled for late 2004 or early 2005.

Thanks, I wonder if that was the original report --
but it refers only to Soyuz-class boosters, and pad 31.

No mention of Buran at all.

I'll keep looking.

Guy Parry wrote in message . ..
I have to take this opportunity to ask (without beating the 'will
Buran fly again?' drum): WERE the other orbiters destroyed? Does
anybody have a clue???

The question that should be ask is that, was the Buran really
destroyed? I mean that, we got the news reporting that the Buran was
destroyed and keep repeating it, but never I have seen a photo of a
destroyed Buran. Only photos of a destroyed Energia mock up.

Don't you think that it's kinda strange?

Well... Who cares, what happen to Buran is none my business anyway.

["Followup-To:" header set to sci.space.policy.]
On 2004-07-13, Jim Oberg wrote:
Thanks, I wonder if that was the original report --
but it refers only to Soyuz-class boosters, and pad 31.

No mention of Buran at all.

I'll keep looking.

Could be Soyuz was the crux of the visit, and someone took them on a
tour of the Buran facilities to fill a couple of hours?

--
-Andrew Gray

I'm in complete agreement. I find it very unlikely that Buran
escaped being flattened - but having said that, I am yet to see
DEFINITIVE proof that it was squashed.
Please, to avoid pointless replies, refer to decitionary
definition of definitive!



On 13 Jul 2004 12:31:51 -0700, (EAC) wrote:

Guy Parry wrote in message . ..
I have to take this opportunity to ask (without beating the 'will
Buran fly again?' drum): WERE the other orbiters destroyed? Does
anybody have a clue???

The question that should be ask is that, was the Buran really
destroyed? I mean that, we got the news reporting that the Buran was
destroyed and keep repeating it, but never I have seen a photo of a
destroyed Buran. Only photos of a destroyed Energia mock up.

Don't you think that it's kinda strange?

Well... Who cares, what happen to Buran is none my business anyway.

Guy Parry wrote in message . ..
I have to take this opportunity to ask (without beating the 'will
Buran fly again?' drum): WERE the other orbiters destroyed? Does
anybody have a clue???
How ironic it would be if OK-M, sitting outside in the dust and
weather, was the only one spared!

snip

Here is one of the better sites regarding the various models and what
is known or guessed about their condition and whereabouts.

http://pargoo.customer.netspace.net.au/buran.html

Curtis