Russia's secret space shuttles have been sitting in plain sight for 22 years (Reported MSN 18.06.15)

The Russian Space Shuttle Buran programme

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17. Russia's secret space shuttles
On the ground floor, Mirebs grabbed some incredible shots of the underbelly of the shuttles, which are lined with black tiles that act as a protective heat shield.

18. Russia's secret space shuttles
When any spacecraft re-enters Earth's atmosphere it gets incredibly hot, approaching temperatures of over 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Most of this heat is due to friction between it and molecules in the atmosphere. The heat shield is designed to withstand these temperatures and protect the spacecraft from completely falling apart.

19. Russia's secret space shuttles
The nose of the shuttles are also covered with these black tiles to protect the front of the spacecraft from overheating and roasting the passengers inside the cockpit.

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20. Russia's secret space shuttles
Here's a peek at the inside of one of the cockpits, designed for pilots who never flew it.

21. Russia's secret space shuttles
Igor Volk, who today is a retired cosmonaut, was supposed to be commander of the first manned Buran flight.

Buran was the first space plane to be produced as part of the Soviet/Russian Buran program.

Credit: ROSCOSMOS

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5. Russia's secret space shuttles
Buran is Russian for "snowstorm" or "blizzard." The Russians built only few prototypes of these shuttles, and only one of them actually flew.

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Designed by Nigel G Wilcox

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USSR Shuttle Buran

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