Editing Energia (rocket) (section)

== Launch history ==

=== First launch (Energia–Polyus) ===
[[File:Energia-Polyus drawing.png|thumb|left|Polyus satellite on Energia launch vehicle|150x150px]]
The Energia was first test-launched on 15 May 1987, with the [[Polyus (spacecraft)|Polyus spacecraft]] as the payload. An [[Zarya spacecraft|FGB]] ("functional cargo block") engine section originally built as a cancelled [[Mir]] module was incorporated into the upper stage used to insert the payload into orbit, similarly to Buran and the US Space Shuttle performing the final orbital insertion, since the planned "Buran-T" upper stage had not yet progressed beyond the planning stage.<ref name="JBIS-2002" /> The intended orbit had 280&nbsp;km (170&nbsp;mi) altitude and 64.6° inclination.<ref>Vassili Petrovitch, [http://www.buran-energia.com/polious/polious-desc.php Polyus] (accessed 21 September 2010).</ref>

The Soviets had originally announced that the launch was a successful sub-orbital test of the new Energia booster with a dummy payload, but some time later it was revealed that in fact the flight had been intended to bring the Polyus into orbit. The two stages of the Energia launcher functioned as designed, but due to a software error in its attitude control system, Polyus's orbital insertion motor failed to inject the payload into orbit. Instead, the Polyus reentered the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://www.astronautix.com/p/polyus.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160820181720/http://www.astronautix.com/p/polyus.html |url-status = dead |archive-date = August 20, 2016 |title = Polyus |access-date = September 25, 2017 |website = Astronautix}}</ref>

=== Second launch (Energia–Buran) ===
[[File:CCCP Buran.png|left|thumb|150x150px|Buran shuttle on Energia launch vehicle]]
The second flight, and the first one where payload successfully reached orbit, was launched on 15 November 1988. This mission launched the uncrewed Soviet Shuttle vehicle [[Buran (spacecraft)|Buran]]. At apogee, the Buran spacecraft made a 66.7&nbsp;m/s burn to reach a final orbit of 251&nbsp;km × 263&nbsp;km.<ref name="Hendrickx" /><ref name=Wade>Mark Wade, ''Encyclopedia Astronautics'', [https://web.archive.org/web/20011225045427/http://www.astronautix.com/craft/buran.htm Buran].  (accessed 21 September 2010).</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Energia Flights
|-
! Flight number<br /><small>([[International Designator|COSPAR&nbsp;ID]])</small>
! Date (UTC)
! Launch site
! Serial no.
! Payload
! Orbit at payload separation
! Remarks
|-
| 1
| 15 May 1987<br />17:30:00
| [[Baikonur Cosmodrome]] [[Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 250|Site 250]]
| 6SL<ref name="BR_Energia_Serials">{{cite web |last=Lukashevich |first=Vadim |title=Manufacturing History of the Energia Launch Vehicle |url=http://www.buran.ru/htm/rocrt3.htm |access-date=25 January 2018 |website=buran.ru |language=ru}}</ref>
|[[Polyus (spacecraft)|Polyus]]
| −15 × 155&nbsp;km × 64.61°<ref name="BR_Polyus_Flight">{{cite web |last=Lukashevich |first=Vadim |title=The Polyus Spacecraft |url=http://www.buran.ru/htm/cargo.htm |access-date=25 January 2018 |website=buran.ru |language=ru}}</ref>
| Spacecraft software error led to orbit insertion burn performed in incorrect attitude and payload re-entered atmosphere without entering orbit.<ref name="StarWars">{{cite web |last1=Day |first1=Dwayne A. |last2=Kennedy |first2=Robert G. III |date=January 2010 |title=Soviet Star Wars: The launch that saved the world from orbiting laser battle stations |url=https://www.airspacemag.com/space/soviet-star-wars-8758185/ |access-date=25 January 2018 |publisher=[[Air & Space/Smithsonian]]}}</ref>
|-
| 2<br /><small>(1988-100A)</small>
| 15 November 1988<br />03:00:01
| [[Baikonur Cosmodrome]] [[Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 110|Site 110/37]]
| 1L<ref name="BR_Energia_Serials" />
| [[Buran (spacecraft)|Buran]]
| −11.2 × 154.2&nbsp;km × 51.64°<ref name="BR_Buran_Flight_Timeline">{{cite web |last=Lukashevich |first=Vadim |title=Timeline of the flight of Buran on 15 November 1988 |url=http://www.buran.ru/htm/cikmain.htm |access-date=25 January 2018 |website=buran.ru |language=ru}}</ref><br />After burn: 251 x 263 km<ref name=Wade />
| First and only flight of [[Buran (spacecraft)|Buran]]. The spacecraft orbited Earth twice before de-orbiting and landed at Baikonur at 06:24 UTC.
|}