Portal:Spaceflight/Selected article/Week 2 2008

The Energia (or Energiya, Энергия in Russian, meaning Energy) rocket was a Soviet rocket that was designed by NPO Energia to serve as a heavy-lift expendable launch system as well as a booster for the Buran Space Shuttle. It had the capacity to place around 100 tonnes of cargo into Low Earth orbit. Four Zenit rockets were used as boosters.

The Energia was first launched on 15 May 1987 at 17:30 GMT with a Polyus (UKSS) military payload. The core Energia stage functioned well, but the Polyus did not reach orbit due to an attitude control system malfunction after separation from the rocket. Its second and final flight was successful, launching the unmanned Buran spacecraft, in 1988.

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