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Own Your Own Russian Space Shuttle
MagicM writes "On e-bay, you can now bid on a Russian test shuttle: "This is a Bor-5 VKK (Spacecraft) and was used to test the aerodynamic characteristics of high altitude and extreme speed and heat on a space vehicle. It is an exact 1/8 scale model of the Russian "Buran" space shuttle." Bids starting at $550,000.00, no bids yet, closes at Aug-12-01 18:44:03 PDT. Better hurry!" I think the most humourous part of this is the seller added "I prefer PayPal!" Anyone out there with a 550,000 credit limit, buy away! *grin*
> It cost the Russian BILLIONS of rubles to develop
Which is like, US$20 now, right?
Gee is that the ONLY way a space shuttle can look or the only way a stolen design can look?
if you were to view the eBay listing, you'll see it's in Cocoa Beach, FL.
The One Rule Of Chess You'll Ever Need: Don't play someone who carries a kit in their bookbag.
All about Buran:
http://dmoz.org/Science/Technology/Spa ce/Space_Shuttle/Buran,_Russian_Space_Shuttle/
And a *real* one for sale! (Er, my Russian is a little rusty, but it says "For Sale" in English...)
http://www.buran.ru/htm/forsale.htm
And apparently, the program isn't dead, anymore:
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/russia- space-general-01m.html
You'd think they could at least send it out to Maaco to get it detailed and painted first!
But really, the question I have to ask is "why is that guy so happy standing on the thing?"
He found a new place for his stash?
He's going to turn it into a big bong?
Somebody ELSE left their stash behind and he just found it?
He now knows what he's going to do with the neighbour's cat that's been pissing in his garden?
$0.02 (CDN)
healyourchurchwebsite.com - WWJB?
If you drive it yourself - it's in Titusville, FL, IIRC.
I tink my credit card would max out, so what would happen if Imad a non-serious bid, and won!
I might be interested in the real shuttle for half amil, but not this - unless I was a dot-com billionaire or lottery winner or something. Even then, its a pile of 16 foot long junk!
I meant search slashdot. Someone posted this same type shuttle a long time ago, and then myself and a friend made a joke project of 'lets buy it and put linux on it' to poke fun at the put-linux-on-everything trend. do a search for shuttle you should find it :)
I knew the former soviet union had space shuttles, but I had no idea they looked so much like those from the USA!
http://www.buran.ru/htm/mtkkmain.htm
WTF? Were they all made in Taiwan?? Are the russian shuttle parts interchanageable with the american shuttle parts? Do other countries have these as well??
From the pictures, it looks like a piece of junk, all beat up. Half a million dollars? what the hell would you do with it? You can't fix it up, it seems like the type of thing that a materialistic yuppie would buy to say, "I have a mansion, a yacht, a ferrari and a russian space shuttle."
------
Random, useless fact: I type in startx entirely with my left hand.
As so many have pointed out the Buran looks a lot like NASA's SST. The Russians used a lot of design features of the SST because they were proven with hundreds of flights of the SST. Why waste a bunch of money of a off the wall shuttle concept when there's already a viable and proven design already in use by somebody else. Look at how much hassle and cash NASA's got to spend working on new shuttle designs.
What I want to know is what happened to the HOPE and Hermes developed by Japan and Europe respectively. Did they ever build scale models of either of those? I think I'd like a one person version of the Hermes to stick a deathray on and wreak destruction upon the Earth with it.
I'm a loner Dottie, a Rebel.
If everyone on slashdot chips in $2, we can buy the thing and store it at Cmdr Taco's house.
-aiabx
Just this guy, you know?
Looks like the counter site couldn't handle the traffic.
I'm surprised that no one has posted that this is REALLY old news... I posted this in 1999 i think. Do a search...
It is an exact 1/8 scale model of the Russian "Buran" space shuttle."
So it's an exact 1/16 scale model of the US Space Shuttle. :-)
The seller is also selling his collection of "HARRY POTTER AUDIO CASSETTES" and some dolls. Most of his other items are under $20. This is quite a leap for this guy.
looking at the pictures, I dont think that thing's gonna be flying much anywhere anytime soon.
The One Rule Of Chess You'll Ever Need: Don't play someone who carries a kit in their bookbag.
it's only a model
Take a look at my homepage to see it!
http://members.prestige.net/dblew/
...that the seller doesn't prefer PayPaI!!!
"the fax machine is nothing but a waffle iron with a phone attached to it." - Grandpa Simpson
Wouldn't the rocketman be able to use this? He could use some really good super glue, and some tnt, and get to space with having to build that damn "home made" rocket. Maybe, I'll by it, and beat him up there.
Um, this is my sig.
I know it's been to outer space, but wow, this thing is in serious need of a paint job. It looks like something you'd see in an outer space junkyard or outside some white trash's house on Mars.
Man, just drop in a nice 8 cylinder 350 hp engine in there, and that thing would be flying down the road. >:)=
my 2 cents plus 2 more
Screw lawn geese and dear, put a frikkin Russian space shuttle in your front lawn.
It's up on cinder blocks... kinda sad, really.
By the time this was posted there's only about 4.5 hours left before it closes!
I'd put a space shuttle in my front yard.
No sig for you.
In that rig, it looks like the car/semi/fire truck/airplane/horse/whatever kind of ride outside of most Wal-Mart stores... (Real) spaceship ride at a science museum, perhaps?
"Make it ten--I am only a poor corrupt official."
--Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains), Casablanca
then you would be legally obligated to pay. He could have you in court.
Reminds me of the Russian baker who, during the fall of communism there, bought a MIG-19 from the government for all the bread he had.
He parked it on his front lawn.
John Carmack has an infinite credit limit... he could buy that thing and send a spider monkey into orbit with a little webcam...
Model Russian space capsule: Five Hundred Thousand dollars.
Spider monkey bought from Brazilian poachers: Six Hundred dollars.
Custom Solid Fuel Rocket Engine: Two Hundred Forty Thousand dollars
The look on said monkey's face as his brain is crushed passing 10Gs..... priceless.
Oh baby.... thats what I'm talkin about.
Somebody ought to tell Rocketguy! Then, if he incorporated this, he might have a snowball's chance in hell of succeeding...
You're using her as bait, Master!
Holy CRAP!
"It descended, hitting mach 20 and temperatures of 16,000 K!"
Considering that Carbon boils at 5100 K and the sun is right around 6000K, I must be missing something.
It's not the price, It's the upkeep! I mean, even if you can afford the initial investment think of the fuel and repair costs! And my mother would have a FIT if I tried to launch it from the back yard! Can you imagine the mess? Smoke! Junk falling out or the sky! Fire! My god, she'd kill me!!
------- I saw a VW Beatle the other day. The vanity Plates said "FEATURE"
It may cost a bit more than half a mil to buy, but dont forget that $5000 shipping cost to FedEx!
The One Rule Of Chess You'll Ever Need: Don't play someone who carries a kit in their bookbag.
If they run Windows like the rest of the world, it's only a matter of time before my $550,000 model becomes Owned by Chinese!
High-quality Linux web hosting for geeks and coders.
I know manufacturing places that cook parts in furnaces (precision parts, burn off oils from human fingers) and cook cermics coted with that metal because of its strength and resistance to heat.
man, slashdot needs a spellchecker for when your in a hurry
If anyone's interested at more information on Buran and Baikal (the other Russian orbiter), take a look at http://www.k26.com/buran/ for some good information, plus a Message forum where I've read lots of interesting information concerning Buran and it's possible ressurrection. Also, the Buran unit designed for aerodynamic test flights (and thusly equipped with 4 turbo jets + afterburners) is on tour in Australia right now. Pictures of that tour can be found at http://members.optusnet.com.au/~pmorton/.
:P
I'm actually going to find it very interesting if Russia ressurrects it's Buran shuttles, as most likely they'll put a small crew of cosmonauts on it and then sell the remaining 3-4 seats to tourists to piss off NASA
--Kumba
Doesn't the seller have to pay a huge listing fee for 550,000.00?!?! I'd hate to see him not sell that model.
PRIME - Indivisible by anything but ME!
Praise : From T Models to Space Shuttles Dutch has it! Great Fellow A+++
Looks like he already sold a space shuttle... I'm impressed.
No sig for you.
You are a bit of a stealth /.-er, aren't you? :)
karma capped
This reminds me of this this slashdot story from a few years back. Judging from the pictures and description it seems to be the same shuttle. I don't remember the original ebay posting well enough to confirm it. That is assuming its not a hoax of course.
When a deal like this goes sour, and it most likely will -- if anyone is stupid enough to bid on it, it's the escrow business that wins out in no small way. It's the next best thing to being a stock broker. Your clients see millions come and go, but you always get your six figures.
I would think that the people from JYW could come up w/a far better space vehicle from the scrap heap (at least it would be better looking -- there was some guy that painted their creation to make it look nice).
Sorry but I really don't feel that at $550k this is worth it. It is in terrible condition and would need tons of restoration work.
I think that it should be donated to a museum or at least reduced in price...
Isn't that worth about $17 right now? Enough to buy a brace of nuclear scientists from Leningrad.
It is exactly like the real space shuttle, only 1/8th it's size? I'll call it, "Mini-shuttle!"
Reason, free market capitalism, and individualism
Actually, it landed by parachute:
It landed safely, after a flight of 2100 KMS, by parashute
If anyone is interested in buying this and has a spare half a mill laying around in one of his/her checking accounts, go for it!
I thought I saw this in the Santa Monica Museum of Flying about three years ago. Same one? Or is it just a big fib? Reminds me of of the time I saw someone selling the Earth as God on Ebay. "Earth, slightly used. Doesn't work."
Become a red code vigilante!
These were taken when Buran was in Sydney, January 2001. The first few pictures are from Linux.conf.au 2001, the last few is when the Perth, Western Australia mob went to the exhibit in Darling Harbour. http://www.james.rcpt.to/2001/lca-2001/day5/.
but my bumper sticker will read "My other shuttle is from NASA"
I've only had one complaint, and that was when the mailman busted the facings off the door trying to get that Bay Bridge into the house.
I hear that the dutchmeister is planning to list some Indonesian deep space stations next month.
Okay...Who might I ask has half a million bucks to blow on this? I mean, having my own space shuttle might be nice and all, but, this is a ratther sorry looking one...not to mention a 1/8 scale model. Half a million is quite a bit for this, if you ask me. (not to mention the durration of his auction was short...he started it on the 5th. I mean, 7 days for something you're asking for upwards of half a million for. If I had that kind of money, to blow...I'd spend more than a week to deside to blow it on this.
The opinions in this post are ficticious. Any similarity to actual opinions, real or imagined, is purely coincidental.
It came back with
"Problem with bid amount
Your bid of $125.00 is less than the minimum bid. Please go back and bid at least $550,000.00. (Please type numbers and the decimal point (.) only.)"
--- Hindsight is 20/20, but walking backwards is not the answer.
It cost the Russian BILLIONS of rubles to develop!
That's like, what--US$57.08? Maybe they should just auction off the entire Russian space program... oh wait, Dennis Tito already bought it. Never mind.
I looked into the abyss, and the abyss looked into me--and we both winked.
Time to watch the /. effect in action!
I thought ./ wont post links to ebay?
;-)
some weeks a go i submitted a link to an Cray-YMP sale on Ebay.
poor little cray, not exotic enough to make it
Obviously hasn't heard of pr0n...
cLive ;-)
-- Trinity in high heels carrying a whip: The donimatrix - there is no spoonerism
They could have saved some money, by just calling Larry "more toys than thou" Ellison directly.
-- Another senseless waste of fine bytes.
AmEx has no credit limit......
- If This Peace Is Fictious, I Shall Destroy It
The USSR sure sent some crap into space.....
Billions of Rubles?
3 American Dollars...
How do you want to fall out of space today?
"liberty and justice for all those who can afford it"
Back in the early 80s (1984, I beleive) there was a news story on NBC in New York. The report was from in front of the LoC (Library of Congress) in DC, where a group of Soviets had walked in a photocopied all the plans, blueprints and data on the Space Shuttle.
:-)
The public outcry was huge for three days, then everyone seemed to forget about it.
46. The Hobo smiles, his eyes glaze over, and he burps. "Beware the man who has lived longer than the Wasteland."
Is the A/C functional?
people already had enough junk in their yards. A pink flamingo, lawn jockey and now a space shuttle... nice.
Steve Magruder, Metro Foodist
Does anyone know if 550K is a "good deal" for something like this? I mean, you can't really comparison shop and see what, say, Wal-Mart is running them at this week.
Don