i would really prefer the Buran 1.01 instead of the american shuttle, it looks more aggressive and nice, more payload! automated landing system(i know the US shuttle can but it's not yet demonstrated since pilots choose to land them manually).Too bad there was a lack of funding, look at the 1.02 Ptichka, said to be 96%-98% finished a little more and there we go another history! the status of Analogue Buran can be better if they settled the lawsuit earlier not 5 years, and finally, as i can see, the US shuttle is not the payload, but looks like the launcher, the payload is the External Tank!hahaha,and the srb's is the 1st stage! but Energia....wow....can almost lift twice the payload, and it even has different configs! the Vulcan! maximum 8 strap booster for the energia!, the Energia-M(baby energia)w/2 booster, there's even one config w/c can land like a plane!!talk about Soviet Innovation!...well, enough talk, the Buran 1.01 goes to heaven, may she rest on heaven's cosmodrome.