A giant launcher separate from the shuttle it carries.
Energia is a Soviet heavy launcher designed for bulky payloads, including the Buran shuttle. The launch vehicle and the orbiter are distinct components of the programme.
Its first flight in 1987 carries Polyus. The rocket completes its powered phase, but the payload fails to perform its own orbital insertion correctly.
In 1988, Energia launches Buran on its only space mission. The orbiter circles Earth twice and lands automatically, with no cosmonauts aboard. The system never flies again.
Selected representative missions; crew names belong to the flight shown.
Energia's first test; Polyus's failed insertion is a payload failure.
Buran flies entirely automatically and without a crew: a spacecraft designed for people can be tested alone.
Dates follow the days reported by the source agencies, generally in local time; the UTC day can differ. Crews belong to the selected missions, not every flight in the family.
The architecture illustrates a different way to separate heavy transport from the task of bringing a reusable spacecraft home.
First flight or first test of the family, including unsuccessful or suborbital attempts.
