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*

Comments

Cost

[Anonymous Coward]

> It cost the Russian BILLIONS of rubles to develop

Which is like, US$20 now, right?

They stole the design, ya think???

[gelfling]

Gee is that the ONLY way a space shuttle can look or the only way a stolen design can look?

More

[whatnotever]

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

Re:More

[fm6]

And a *real* one for sale!

Not quite. No provision for a pilot. It's a full-size, radio-control model, intended to test the avionics, as prepartion for the full version that never got built. I'm not gonna bid on a spaceship unless it's one I can actually fly...

And apparently, the program isn't dead, anymore:

Well, that page mentions blue-sky launch vehicle projects in Russia, India, and Japan. Of course, the sorry state of the U.S. space program, we're in no position to sneer. I, for one, would only cheer if India became the leader of space exploration! But I'm not holding my breath.

does anyone know if ?

[beanerspace]

Man, at $550k, whatta deal. But if I'm going to go bonkers in space then I'm going to need some features. Problem is, I couldn't find specifications that would list any of the following necessities built in:

• 8 Track Player (with at least one tape of either Elvis or Parliment ... or at least Bowie playing Major Tom)
• Tang dispenser (already mixed & ready to go .. not that powdered crap)
• Year's supply of space-food sticks (vintage 1971)
• Booster system activated with the clapper
• Computer equipped with neat female voice like that of the Enterprise
• A little clicking sound that'll altert me to if I've left the right turn signal on
• The assurance that someone will hear me scream

Re:does anyone know if ?

[sconeu]

The assurance that someone will hear me scream

In space, no one can hear you scream.

Re:does anyone know if ?

[Surak]

8 Track Player (with at least one tape of either Elvis or Parliment ... or at least Bowie playing Major Tom)

Or "Magic Carpet Ride"

I would also want assurances that 8 track player could not play "Start Me Up" by the Rolling Stones. (It is rumored that a BSOD was the *actual* cause of the Challenger explosion. :)

Free Shipping

[bonzoesc]

If you drive it yourself - it's in Titusville, FL, IIRC.

Russian Space Shuttles?!?

[green pizza]

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??

Let's all buy it together.

[aiabx]

If everyone on slashdot chips in $2, we can buy the thing and store it at Cmdr Taco's house.
-aiabx

I dont think its for real

[jhittner]

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.

Buran, Buran, Buran

[[amorphis]]

it's only a model

wow

[British]

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.

Why pay for this 1/8 model....

[mdemeny]

When you could swipe the real thing from Gorky park with a forklift and a tractor-trailer.

It's up on cinder blocks... kinda sad, really.

Re:As if...

[Omerna]

I'd put a space shuttle in my front yard.

Wal-Mart kiddie ride

[BarefootClown]

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?

Re:Who would really buy this?

[Anonymous Coward]

a materialistic yuppie would buy to say, "I have a mansion, a yacht, a ferrari and a russian space shuttle."

My name is Elmer J. Fudd, Miwwionawe. I own a mansion and a yacht... And a Wussian Space Shuttwe, he-he-he-heh

If you bid, and won..

[mindstrm]

then you would be legally obligated to pay. He could have you in court.

woah

[BeerHunter]

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.

Re:16,000K - Am I missing something?

[treat]

"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.

While the surface of the sun, its coldest part, is about 5800K, other parts are much hotter. For instance, the corona is a million or two degrees, and the core - where fusion takes place - is about 15 million.

Anyone comparing a temperature to the surface of the sun is being deliberately deceptive. They are attempting to demonstrate how hot something is by comparing it to the sun - which we all know is very very hot - but they are comparing it to the sun's coldest part.

Re:hey it's Junk Yard Wars!

[cybrthng]

The few pounds of "melibdomen" or whatever metal it is in the nose alone is worth more then the asking price.

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

In the seller's comments:

[Omerna]

Praise : From T Models to Space Shuttles Dutch has it! Great Fellow A+++

Looks like he already sold a space shuttle... I'm impressed.

Re:In the seller's comments:

[Monkeyman334]

Complaint: Did not recieve shuttle promptly as promised, didn't even work I recieved it. F-------

Is this the same from a few years ago?

[fordp]

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.

Escrow money to be made

[BierGuzzl]

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.

hey it's Junk Yard Wars!

[garcia]

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...

Re:hey it's Junk Yard Wars!

[Have Blue]

Molybdenum.

revolution

[Richthofen80]

This is a revolution for all people who are vertically challenged. no longer will the oppresive normally sized people be able to say they are the only ones conquering space. Now midgets and dwarves can enjoy that same luxury.

It is exactly like the real space shuttle, only 1/8th it's size? I'll call it, "Mini-shuttle!"

Now I just need a pilot

[gad_zuki!]

Maybe after I drop the half million on this mini shuttle I'll let my Bandai life size mech sit in the pilot's seat.

Become a red code vigilante!

Positive Feedback on eBay

[Anonymous Coward]

Previously on eBay, I have purchased the following from him: the San Francisco Bay Bridge, Mjolnir, the One Ring, the Flying Dutchman, one of Thomas Crapper's flushing prototypes, the real Titanic (not the prototype they wasted on the iceberg), Bill Gates' Soul, and Skylab. I did, however, pass when he sold KITT car because KITT was listed as grouchy and gas-guzzling in the listing.

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.

Ohhh . . . a hit counter

[Chuu]

Time to watch the /. effect in action!

Ups...

[nick-less]

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 ;-)

Why bother with e-bay?

[blang]

They could have saved some money, by just calling Larry "more toys than thou" Ellison directly.

Cost?

[DigitalGodBoy]

Billions of Rubles?

3 American Dollars...

How do you want to fall out of space today?

I remember

[Markvs]

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. :-)

As if...

[smagruder]

people already had enough junk in their yards. A pink flamingo, lawn jockey and now a space shuttle... nice.