OK-MT

Airframe no.: 0.04

Energia designation: 4M

Alternative designations: 4MT, OK-MT, 0.04MT, GRAU 11F35MT

OK-MT — Orbitalniy Korabl — Maket Tekhnologicheskiy (Orbital Ship — Technological Model) [7]

OK-MT was delivered to Baikonur in August 1984 and used for handling and technological tests at the Orbiter Assembly and Test Facility (MIK OK) and for orbiter processing exercises at the Rocket Assembly and Test Facility (MIK RN), the Assembly and Fueling Facilit (MZK) and the landing complex at Yubileyniy airfield. The orbiter was supposed to be permanently operational and used for training and exercises for the maintenance personnel and crews, as well as the development of orbiter design and operational documentation. Before the delivery to Baikonur, 0.04 served as a static test article at TsAGI.

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OK-MT in one of the bays in MIK OK. Image: Mnogorazovaya kosmicheskaya sistema “Energiya-Buran”, 2004 Article OK-MT and to a smaller extent OK-M and OK-KS were used for prototyping of the layout of the onboard equipment, including pneumatic and hydraulic connections and cable harnesses. Orbiter maintenance operations testing and ground support equipment testing were also carried out with this test article.

OK-MT with pads 110/37 and 110/38 in the background. Image: Pavel Vinogradov OK-MT was used for a series of ground equipment fit tests at MIK OK and development of connections with the launch vehicle in MIK RN. A series of fit checks and ODU fuelling and draining runs was then conducted at the MZK and the Launch Complex:

mating of article Energia 4M and OK-MT with a TUA transporter-erector at the MZK from May 13 to May 16 1986 — the stack received the designation 4MP; fit checks, orbiter refuelling tests of the 4MP stack at pad 110/37 from May 5 to May 14, 1987; rolled back to the MZK from May 14 to May 28, 1987 to protect the stack in case the launch of Polyus and Energia 6SL on May 15 failed and debris fell on the pad with OK-MT; rolled out to the pad from May 28 to June 29, 1987; shown to Gorbachev in mid-May during his visit to the cosmodrome; orbiter refuelling tests of the 4MP stack at the MZK and at the launch pad from September to October 1987; fuel cell fill tests with hydrogen and oxygen, crew boarding and evacuation exercises carried out with the 4MP stack at the launch pad from July 6 to August 7, 1990. [8]

OK-MT during pad integration tests at pad 110/37 in Baikonur, date unknown. Images: ok.ru and ok.ru Press enter or click to view image in full size Press enter or click to view image in full size Press enter or click to view image in full size OK-MT in MIK OK (left, center) and on the TA transporter. Images: Jaap Terweij, Igor Kurashov / RG, buran.ru OK-MT’s forward fuselage and bottom of the aft fuselage have white thermal blankets instead of the black silica tiles of flight orbiters. It sported mock-up nacelles for the then-planned jet engines until late 1987/early 1988.

In 1995, together with orbiter 2K, OK-MT was moved to the MZK hangar in Baikonur, where it remains to this day.