In a monumental effort to restore the Buran reusable orbital vehicle “Baikal” (item 2.01), the spacecraft was transported from the “VoenFilm-Medyn” film complex to the UMMC Museum Complex in Verkhnyaya Pyshma during July-August 2024. The restoration, overseen by the Museum Complex’s press service, aims to make the orbiter the centerpiece of a new exhibition honoring the “Energia-Buran” programme.
“Baikal,” the third flight article of the Soviet “Buran” programme, faces extensive restoration challenges due to its advanced engineering, incomplete blueprints, and the materials used in its 1980s construction. The museum staff in Verkhnyaya Pyshma have taken on the task of developing restoration techniques independently.
Nikolai Rezinskikh, Director of the Museum Complex, emphasized the team’s dedication to preserving the orbiter’s original assemblies and components. “Our objective is to give the orbiter a finished external appearance and arrange access for visitors inside to showcase the engineering marvels behind this space legend,” Rezinskikh stated.
The restoration’s initial phase includes scanning the orbiter’s fuselage to recreate missing structural elements such as engine parts, nose landing gear doors, glazing fragments, and wing leading edge fairings. The project also highlights the orbiter’s historical significance and technological innovations, including its 30kW hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell power systems.
Initially intended for long-duration, complex missions, “Baikal” was equipped with unique features such as K-36RB ejection seats. The orbiter’s first planned manned flight in 1994 would have included cosmonauts Igor Volk and Alexander Ivanchenkov, but the programme was halted before completion.
After its abandonment, “Baikal” endured decades of relocation and incomplete restoration attempts. Its current condition reveals significant damage and missing components. The UMMC Museum Complex plans to house the restored orbiter in a dedicated pavilion, showcasing it alongside other exhibits related to the “Energia-Buran” programme. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the orbiter’s interior and learn about its groundbreaking engineering.
Source: Swifteradio.com
