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Unremarkable and more than a little rundown, this may seem like just another innocuous building in Kazakhstan.
In reality, though, it actually holds awesome relics of the Russian space program, which were uncovered by photographer and urban explorer Ralph Mirebs.
The building is an abandoned hangar at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which is still in operation today.
Inside the hangar are two Buran prototype shuttles that have since fallen into decay after the Soviets’ Buran program was cancelled due to lack of funding.
These now-defunct shuttles were originally built for the assembly of the Soviet N1 moon rocket, as well as for orbiter maintenance.
However, only one orbital flight was completed before they were decommissioned. One was even ready for spaceflight in 1992.
After the building’s high atmospheric pressure systems were shut down, the shuttles were left to gather dust.
Much of the equipment has been torn out.
The hangar and its occupants are a sad and somewhat eerie reminder of an era that is no more.
“Rise from the ashes!” is what Mirebs hopes for.
