OK-TVA

Airframe no.: 0.05

Energia designation: 5M

Alternative designation: OK-TVA

OK-TVA — Orbitalniy Korabl — Termo-Vibro-Akusticheskiye [ispytaniya] (Orbital Ship — Thermal-Vibration-Acoustic [testing])

Segments of the airframe were used for thermal, acoustic and vibration testing. The designator represented roughly one and a half orbiter’s worth of major components, with the airframe built in sections: the forward fuselage with the cabin and a section of the mid fuselage; the aft fuselage with a section of the mid fuselage; a wing with a section of the mid fuselage, etc.

Press enter or click to view image in full size Press enter or click to view image in full size The testing was divided as follows:

Static testing: outboard, inboard elevon, vertical stabilizer, body flap, nosecap, right wing leading edge segments 11, 12, 13, mid-fuselage with left wing. Vibration testing: inboard elevon, mid-fuselage, aft fuselage, forward fuselage with crew cabin, nosecap. Repeat static testing: wing leading edge segments 7 through 13, nosecap. Acoustic strength testing: outboard, inboard elevon, vertical stabilizer, body flap, left wing leading edge segments 7 through 10, mid-fuselage with right wing. [9] OK-TVA was used for the second stage of the main structural test campaign; the article was placed in the TPPVK-1 thermal vacuum chamber at TsAGI, which allowed the airframe to be statically loaded while experiencing temperatures between -100 and 1500 C, simulating the in-orbit, reentry and landing conditions in real time. The airframe was tested to 90% of the design loads at a 1.3 safety factor.

Press enter or click to view image in full size

OK-TVA mid-fuselage in the TPPVK-1 thermal vacuum chamber at TsAGI. Photo: “Reusable Space System: Energia-Buran”, OmV Luch, 2004 Segments covered in Thermal Protection System tiles were then tested in the purpose-built RK-1500 acoustic testing chamber at TsAGI. The resistance of TPS tiles to vibration and the performance of seals and compartments were tested on OK-TVA segments.

OK-TVA in the RK-1500 acoustic testing chamber at TsAGI. Photo: mapsssr.ru All airframe segments were destroyed with the exception of the left wing with its leading edge and the main landing gear, which were used to build the Gorky Park/VDNKh model.