As part of its efforts to militarize space, the USSR pressed forward in the 1980s with an active research and development program centered at Tyuratam. The Soviets designed the SL-W heavy lift space launch vehicle for use with the Buran Space Shuttle, as well as with other heavy payloads.

This painting was done by Ronald C. Wittmann for the US Defense Intelligence Agency.

(Above) In the mid-1980s, Moscow announced plans to have a large, permanently manned space station orbiting the Earth in the 1990s. They launched MIR, the core vehicle of a modular space station, in February 1986. The Soviets planned to use a space shuttle orbiter, then in development called Buran, to carry payloads and assist in the assembly of the space station.

This painting was done by Brian W. McMullin for the US Defense Intelligence Agency.