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Soviet Space Battle Station Images Published

Posted by Hemos on from the a-page-from-the-past dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Images of the Soviet Union's laser space battle station Skif and its prototype Polyus have been published on the web. Polyus-Skif was the Soviet response to the American 'Star Wars' program of the 1980s. The Polyus was launched in May 1987 but a faulty sensor caused it to de-orbit into the South Pacific. More information can be found at Encyclopedia Astronautica."

10 of 350 comments (clear)

  1. Wow by The-Bus · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I especially like this picture, which seems to almost be a spy shot froma James Bond movie, or as one of the posters commented, "Looks very Thunderbirds-ish."

    --

    Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.

    1. Re:Wow by Rorschach1 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      What I find interesting is the marking on the side that says 'MIR-2'. I guess it would have been launched just after the original Mir station. Seems a little ironic to name a battle station 'Peace', though I guess it can be translated as 'Earth' too.

      The picture of the launch vehicle being erected is classic. Looks like either the world's largest surface-to-air missile or a 1950's idea of a rocket ship.

  2. Software error by YeeHaW_Jelte · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Comments at the website (yes I RTFA) say it wasn't a faulty sensor but a software error which caused the Polyus to turn 360 instead of 180 degree upon reaching orbit, and it boosted itself back into the atmosphere. Oops!

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    ---
    "The chances of a demonic possession spreading are remote -- relax."
    1. Re:Software error by fizze · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Such errors seem common. I believe it was the F-16 which had a similiar problem with the artificial horizon, causing it to rotate 180 when crossing the aequator. It has (luckily) been found and fixed.

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      Powerful is he who overpowers his temptations.
  3. "One thing i can tell you - Energia Corp now by Sai+Babu · · Score: 4, Interesting

    workin on Mars mission."

    A most interesting comment from the guy who provided the photos.

    Perhaps he woudl be willing submit to a /. interview?

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    Now I'm the grandest Tiger in the Jungle!
  4. If the USSR had that back then.... by Devar · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ...just imagine what the USA might just have up there right now.

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    It's a Bagel.
    1. Re:If the USSR had that back then.... by WIAKywbfatw · · Score: 4, Interesting

      First rule of combat: disable the enemies eyes and ears. If he's blinded because you took out his intelligence gathering satellites, he's not only lost what realtime intelligence he had coming in but he now also has to expend other resources (ie, manpower in the form of reconnaisance missions) to try and get some of that back. And with his communications satellites gone too, his ability to effectively manage is greatly diminished too.

      You can't hit what you can't see. Sounds obvious but in warfare it can be the only difference between winning and getting spanked.

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      "Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
  5. Launch Failure Conspiracy Theory by Catmeat · · Score: 4, Interesting

    There is a theory the lunch failure was intentional.

    Gorbachev had just come to power and wanted to make peace overtures to the West. A giant space battle station was not going to help this endeavour so a deliberate "launch failure" would be the simplest and easiest way of getting rid of the darn thing and shutting down the program.

    As I said, it's nothing more than a theory I've heard articulated. I've no idea how much credability or plausibility it has.

  6. Re:History Channel Last Night by LWATCDR · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The US had more than one failure it's self during the early days. I saw pictures of an Atlas cart wheeling through the sky. The Navaho missle got the nickname the Nogo. I have even seen a Thor with a live H-Bomb on it fail at blast off the warhead did not go off thank goodness for the launch crew. That was part of test to see what happens when you blow up a nuke in space. The difference is in the US most of the failures where public.

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    See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
  7. Re:Stratoshperic Archeology by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You ever thought to think that two launches can be seen as one? This practice of double whammy launching is so old I wonder if they still bother... In those days (early 80's) bloom recognition was in such a sorry state that you couldn't tell the difference between a significant fire and a launch.. Norad had so many freakin' alerts because of forest fires in the soviet forests you wouldn't believe it..

    anyway, funky shots of a funky vehicle from a funky time... glad those days are over. I like Russians and I am happy to be their friend. For the others? Yab t'vayuh Maht!