November 15, 1988: The victory of Energia-Bourne - a flight that predated Starship and its era by 38 years.
Exactly 38 years ago, Soviet cosmonautics set an absolute technological record, which was included in the Guinness Book of Records and still causes admiration among engineers around the world.
The Energia superheavy launch vehicle was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, placing the Buran Orbiter into low Earth orbit.
It was not just the launch of a reusable shuttle - it was the first unmanned automated flight in world history and the glorious landing of a spacecraft of this class. (video above).
AI 1988: How the Soviet Computer Overcame Men and the Elements.
The American space shuttles made 135 flights, but none of them were unmanned: the American system could not land the ship without pilots in the cockpit controlling the glide path rudders.
Soviet designers, headed by G. E. Luzino-Luzinsky and V. P. Glushko, took an unprecedented risk - they sent an 80-ton winged colossus into space without a crew at all.
2 orbits around the Earth (206 minutes in space);
The most difficult route and entry into the dense layers of the atmosphere in plasma;.
Approaching the runway of Jubilini Airport, the automation encountered a gusty side wind (gusts up to 20 m/s). Suddenly, the Buran's computer made an unusual decision: it made a turn, turned the shuttle against the wind and entered the orbit from the opposite side, reducing speed!
The deviation when stopping was only 1.5 meters from the center line of the strip and one second in time! Ground operators initially thought it was an accident, but it turned out that the Soviet algorithm worked more brilliantly than any live test pilot.
Energia-Born and Elon Musk's starship (bottom video): Parallels after 38 years.
Today the whole world is admiring the return to Earth of the super-heavy ship system from SpaceX and its sophisticated automation.
But if you look at history objectively.