Speyer Technology Museum: “Buran” Has Landed

The former USSR’s answer to the American space shuttle programme was called “Buran”, which translates to “snowstorm” in English. After a long sea passage to Rotterdam from Bahrein, where the space shuttle stood in the desert for years, the former Soviet object of prestige reached its final destination on the 12th of April: the “Technik Museum” in Speyer. The new highlight of the renowned museum will be the 17-metre high, 36-metre long orbital glider, which was only ever granted one single space flight back in 1988, when it took two “spins” around the earth. The space shuttle itself will be housed in a specially built 22-metre high hall. The total investment for the purchase and transport of Buran, as well as the new hall, runs at about ten million euros. (eap)