2.01

2.01 in 2012
Type	Buran-class orbiter
Country	Soviet Union
Contract award	1983
Status	Unfinished

2.01 (GRAU index serial number 11F35 3K) is the designation of the third Buran-class orbiter to be produced as part of the Soviet/Russian Buran programme. Its construction was not complete when the Buran programme was cancelled (30–50 percent done), so it remains unfinished.^[1] It was never officially named.

Differences from Buran and Ptichka

The 2.01 is the first of a second series of Buran-class orbiters. The design was improved using feedback from the earlier models of Buran-class shuttles, such as the flight of Buran and the construction of Ptichka.^[1]

Major changes include:

• Hull design optimized to save weight.
• Thermal protection system arrangement changed.
• Spoilers added to elevons.
• OMS thrusters configuration changed.
• Payload bay doors radiator design simplified.
• Landing gear improved.
• Drag chute container was reduced, since it turned out the surface area of the parachutes in the flight of Buran was overabundant.

After the Challenger disaster it was decided to limit the crew capacity of the second series of orbiters to four crew members with ejection seats regularly mounted.^[2]

Since none of the second series orbiters were completed, only changes in the thermal protection system and OMS thrusters arrangement can be visible on 2.01.

History

Projected flights

It was projected in 1989 that orbiter 2.01 would have its first crewed space test flight, 3K1, in 1994, with a duration of twenty-four hours. The craft would have been equipped with a life support system and two ejection seats. Crew would have consisted of two cosmonauts — Igor Volk (commander) and Aleksandr Ivanchenko (flight engineer).^[3]

In 1991, construction of the orbiter was suspended, and in 1993, the Buran program was completely cancelled.

Post-retirement

After residing at the Tushino factory where it was constructed, it was incorrectly announced in 2006 that orbiter 2.01 would be put on display in the Technik Museum Speyer, Germany. However, the German Museum had actually bought OK-GLI, the jet-powered Buran atmospheric test vehicle, which appeared on display in its own new hangar from September 2008.^[1]

From 2004 the orbiter 2.01 was left under open skies at a car park in Moscow, near Khimki Reservoir.^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

On 22 June 2011, during the day the orbiter was put on a barge^{[9][original research?]} to be moved to the MAKS 2011 international air show, which took place from 16 to 21 August in Zhukovsky (Moscow region).^[10] In the night of 22–23 June, it was seen on the Moskva River.^{[11][12][original research?]} The orbiter was exposed at the show with one side restored.

In 2012, it was seen during the Russian Air Force 100th Anniversary Airshow in Zhukovsky. It was expected that it would be restored in Zhukovsky and shown at the MAKS 2013 exhibition, but it never appeared at the exhibition. As of November 2013^[update], it remained at the Zhukovsky International Airport (55°33′06″N 38°08′40″E / 55.5517°N 38.1444°E / 55.5517; 38.1444).^[13]

In July 2017, heat-tiles from orbiter 2.01 were listed online, leading some to believe that the orbiter had been scrapped or otherwise disassembled.^[14] However, satellite imagery of Zhukovsky Airport taken in 2019 indicates that 2.01 still resides at the airfield, albeit now in a different location (55°34′16″N 38°8′34″E / 55.57111°N 38.14278°E / 55.57111; 38.14278).^[15]

As of 22 April 2022, the orbiter appears to have been moved to Voenfilm-Medyn cinema complex^[16] where it resides currently (August 2022). According to the video shown below, coordinates should be 54,9504486, 35,8559756.  Archive satellite imagery still shows 2.01 located in Zhukovsky Airport.^[17]

As of 2023 the orbiter's current location is unknown, and may be indoors at the Vadim Zodrozhny Museum in Moscow,^[18] or indoors at the Voenfilm complex. It is not visible on satellite imagery of either location.