Originally posted by Boroda
At least Buran flew and didn't kill anyone... Now we still have cheaper and more reliable delivery.
To All: So I suppose noone (sic)doubts that we possess the North Pole? Now it's 70 years since North Pole-1 drifting station!
The south pole is then American. Americans have occupied the geographic South Pole continuously since November 1956.
Buran flew with no one on board. If it had landed vertically at high velocity it would not have killed the crew.
Soyuz has flown 98 times killing two crews.
2/98 = 2% vehicle failure rate
4 of about 300 cosmonauts.
That's about 1.3 % crew mortality
the Shuttle has flown 120 times, killing two crews.
2/120 = 1.6% vehicle failure rate
14 / 630 astronauts.
that's about 2.2 % crew mortality
So the shuttle system actually is safer per flight, it just kills more when it fails.