Successful testing of space shuttle BURAN was careried out in the Soviet Unian on Nothember 15, 1988.

After an universal rocket space transportation system 'Energy' with the shuttle BURAN were launched, a spaceship went into estimated orbit, flew twice around the Earth and landed in automatic mode on a landing ground of Baiconur space center.

It was remarkable success of our national science and technology, which opened up a completely new stage in Soviet Program of Space Exploration.

The BURAN shuttle is designed according to a 'tailess' plane with a delta wind of variable sweep. It has aerodynamic flight controls - a rudder and elevon, which operate during lindinig after the shuttle has come back into dense upper atmosphere. It can perform guided lowering in atmosphere with a side maneuver up to 2000 km.

First flight of buran lasted 205 minutes and was completed with a successful landing on a special landing strip, which was about 5 km long and 80 meters wide. The landing strip was built in Baikonur space center. It was the first and still unique automatic landing of a shuttlecraft in a history of space exploration. Wristwatches of BURAN were designed in honor of the event.