European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 29, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Soviet shuttle similar to . Craft but unmanned by Howard Benedict associated press a soviet space shuttle awaiting ils tirs lest night looks remarkably like a clone Orus american predecessor bul there Aro significant differences. To Slatt with the Maiden launch of the russian vehicle will be unmanned. When the . Shut to in str its debut in i9bi. Two astronauts wore 31 the controls. Other major dil Lerances the main engines of the Sovil Cratt Wilt be on the Enervia Booster rocket instead of on the whiter the soviet Craft has Jet engines idol allow it greater Maneule ability on Landing and it May have an election escape capsule the soviets will not use solid fuel Booster rockets Litho the one that destroyed challenger detente department estimates based on reconnaissance photos show a russian orbiter Wilh dimensions that Are within a Tew feet of the . Vehicle s the length is Cal curated at 125.5 feel and the wingspan at 76 Leet compared Wilh 122.2 eel and 78 loot. A 1986 report of the Desenso intelligence Agency showed state by Side drawings of the Nasa shuttle and the soviet copy. Of Laidly Hoy were identical Down to the paint trim. The Pentagon in us 1987 report on soviet military Power said soviet orbiter development has been heavily be pendent on . Orbiter propulsion computer materials and Airframe design technology. By using us technology and designs the report said the soviets were Able to produce an arbiter years earlier and at tar less cos i. Than i they had depended on their own technology. Money and Sci Tilic expertise could thus be diverted to other  Alexander i. Dunayev head of the soviet space Agency Gla Kosmos said recently the russian shuttle would be launched in the nearest  we Are now working quite energetically on testing on land on she surface of the components to told a news conference in Moscow we arc working literally around the  Dunayev said the Ili Ghl would be unmanned and computerized. Nasa s decision to Fly its Fisl shuttle with a Crew Rell clod the confide acc of the Agency s design engineers that the orbiter would Wink the first time but Only it there were humans aboard. Flying the Shullo Wilhour astronauts would have requited extensive alterations in the flight computer software so that the automatic Pilot would respond to radio beacons along the route. With this program cunning three years behind schedule and with financial pressures rising. Nasa opted for a manned Mission. Spacecraft in the earlier Mercury gemini and Apollo programs underwent extensive unmanned testing Belore Man was committed to try them. The Soviel shuttle will to boosted by the new Enervia Supe Boosler which can Hoisl a 220,000 Pound payload into Orbil equating the Power of America s hugs Saturn 5 rocket that was scrapped alter the Apollo Moon Landing program. The huge rocket passed its Lisl Icil launching last May. But some Small problems will have to a overcome on one or iwo More launching before it can carry the shuttle. Ene Igia has a Central Core fuelled by Hydrogen and Lour strap on liquid Luck Rock ii either the shuttle or an unmanned cargo vessel can be carried Piggy Back on the rocket. The . So Ullic has three main Hydrogen engines that Aro Par of the vehicle they ignite at liftoff along with iwo solid Luck rockets. A faulty solid fuel rocket joint was blamed Lor the explosion that destroyed Challenge and killed its seven Crew members Jan. 28, 1986, a disadvantage of the Soviel design is that the engines Are not reusable because they Are jettisoned after a Lutolf while Nasa uses Shullo engines repeatedly. An advantage of the design is that it permits the orbiter to lift Mere cargo about 66,000 pounds compared with about 55.000 Tor the us shuttle and 1 provides for installation of Landing engines. After descending irom space. The american Shullie Musl Fly a Steep High Speed final approach As a powerless glider. Ii in Ever completed its re entry Wilhour enough Energy to reach the runway or were forced Inlo an unsatisfactory Linal approach because of crosswinds or other factors the Crow would have to crash land the vehicle. The Jot engines of the soviet Craft would enable in to make ils final approach at a safer shallower Angle it would also allow More mane vering flexibility in the event of a misalignment Wilh the runway and permit a second go around attempt if the first is unsatisfactory. Nasa considered the use it Jet engines Tor Landing bul Cost and technical Trade offs Early in the program forced abandonment of the idea. Although there is no evidence in Soviel i Turlure Jim Oberg a Houston aerospace Engineer and Long time observer of the russian space program believes the Soviel orbiter May have a blow away escape capsule. The . Shuttle Columbia was listed Wilh two ejection seals like those on Jet lighter planes for its Lisl four test flights. But those missions had Only two Man Crews and when the number of astronauts per flight Rose to As Many As eight it was not possible to provide escape systems Tor each. The ensling two were then dropped. When american shuttle flights resume later this year the vehicles will be equipped Wilh a system that would allow the Crew members to bail out in the spacecraft were making a bad Landing approach and had to to ditched. Tho system includes a rapid Blowout Hatch and a telescoping Polo Hal would enable the astronauts to slide past the potential Hazard of striking Iho Wing and then Parachute to safely. The system would not help in a challenger like explosion the defense department says the russians also Are developing a Small iwo Man reusable Spac plane Lor swill Access to orbit. At least live sub scale models have Chen tested in orbit and the full Cratl is expected to make its Lisl lest Light about 1990. In would to boosted by a sl-x-16 rocket smaller than Enervia now undergoing testing. In ils assessment of soviet military Power the Pentagon said this Craft could be used Lor among other things reconnaissance missions Sale lilo repairs and maintenance Crew transport space station defense and Sale lilo  comparing spacecraft height in feet a240 104 223v . Shuttle soviet Proton i soviet Enervia payload capacity 220,000 ibs. Total weight 4.4 million ibs. Chicago Tribune graphic sources National aeronautics and space administration quest for space by got redo serves Tel it at and soviet military Power by . Defense department payload capacity 65,000 ibs. Total weight 4.4 million ibs. Payload capacity 41,900 ibs. Total weight 2.2 million ibs sunday. May 29. 1988 the stars and stripes Page 17