The Soviet reusable spacecraft program Buran (meaning 'snowstorm' or 'blizzard' in Russian) was launched in 1976 as a response to the United States Space Shuttle program. Soviet politicians were convinced that the Space Shuttle could be used for military purposes, hence posing a potential threat to the balance of power during the Cold War. The project was the largest and the most expensive in the history of Soviet space exploration. 

The construction of the shuttles began in 1980 and by 1984 the first full-scale Buran was rolled out. The first suborbital test flight of a scale-model, however, took place as early as July 1983. As the project continued, five additional scale-model flights were performed. With the first full-scale Buran, 24 test flights were performed after which the shuttle was 'worn out'. 

This shuttle is an 'analogue' had the same aerodynamic, centre of gravity, and inertial characteristics as the orbiter. It differed in being equipped with four AL-31 turbojet engines, mounted at 4 degrees off the horizontal axis. These allowed the analogue to fly from conventional air fields and conduct the repetitive tests necessary to develop the automated landing system. The analogue was equipped with the same essential systems as the orbiter, including the RM-1 and RM-2 ejection seats, the GSP and VIU navigation systems; the landing gear, landing system antennae, thermal sensors, and first and second group accelerometers. Prior to completion the OK-GLI was used on the 3M-T transport to test fight characteristics of the 3M-T/orbiter combination, the OK-launch vehicle interface attach points, and to develop the optimal transport configuration. After completion it began a series of test flights to verify the subsonic aerodynamic characteristics of the design and develop the manual and automatic flight and landing systems. 

The first and only orbital launch of the (unmanned) shuttle Buran was at 3:00 GMT on November 15, 1988. It was lifted into orbit by the specially designed Energiya booster rocket. The life support system was not tested yet and no software was installed on the CRT displays. The shuttle orbited the Earth twice before returning. 

After the first flight the project was suspended due to lack of funds and the political situation in the Soviet Union. The two subsequent orbiters, which were due in 1990 (codename Ptichka - little bird) and 1992 respectively were never completed. The project was officially shut down in 1993.

Buran dummy orbital manoeuvring engines and test flight jet engines