Editing Energia (rocket) (section)

=== 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>