Olga Sokolova
Research and Production Association (NPO) “Molniya”, which created the Soviet reusable spacecraft “Buran”, is working on an orbital plane, said the general director of the enterprise Olga Sokolova. The corresponding interview with the head was published on the NGO website.
“Now the task has been set and the development of a civilian reusable complex with an orbital aircraft is in full swing,” said the head.
The general director announced the flight of this complex no later than 2026. “We must one hundred percent create a space complex with a reusable apparatus, which will fly into space in the next five years!” – said Sokolova.
The Director General recalled that a full-size model of the product was presented at the Army 2020 forum. “And this development made the most positive impression on the guests, even taking into account the fact that it was presented in a closed pavilion, and the general public could not see it,” said the head.
Sokolova recalled that at present NPO Molniya, owned by the Kalashnikov group, is being transferred to the Tactical Missile Armament Corporation (KTRV).
In May 2020, the general director of Roskomos, Dmitry Rogozin, said that the state corporation he heads began work on creating a spacecraft that could become the heir to Buran.
In September 2018, Rostec announced that it had sold 60 percent of the shares of NPO Molniya to Kalashnikov.
In the framework of the Soviet project “Energia-Buran”, the super-heavy rocket “Energia” and the reusable spacecraft “Buran” were created. The rocket was launched twice (May 15, 1987 and November 15, 1988), the ship – one (November 15, 1988). All launches, as well as the flight and landing of the Buran in automatic mode, were successful. The cost of the project is estimated at $ 30 billion (at the current exchange rate).
