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The Shuttle That Outflew Its Hangar
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Science Gone WrongJun 20, 2026

The Shuttle That Outflew Its Hangar

The Shuttle That Outflew Its Hangar November 15, 1988: the Soviet Buran shuttle flew its first and only mission. Fully autonomous. No crew. Perfect landing. Then the program was canceled. Buran sat in a hangar at Baikonur for 14 years. In 2002, the roof collapsed during repairs. It crushed the shuttle and killed eight workers.

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Source

BBC News, 2002, 'Russian space shuttle wreckage found'; Encyclopedia Astronautica entry on Buran

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