On November 15, 1988, the "Energia" carrier rocket launched from the "Baikonur" cosmodrome, placing the "Buran" spacecraft into Earth's orbit. Operating in automatic mode, the shuttle completed two revolutions around the Earth and then successfully landed back at the cosmodrome. This reusable spacecraft was designed to transport cargo and cosmonauts to orbit and return them to Earth. It was also intended to perform military tasks in space. The "Buran" entered the Guinness Book of Records as the largest spacecraft to reach orbit without a crew and successfully return to Earth. Essentially, it is the largest unmanned spacecraft in history! The Soviet shuttle was meant to be a viable alternative to costly single-use launches. Several similar models were built, but none of them ever flew – the program was shut down in the early 1990s due to high costs and lack of profitability. The fate of the "Buran" was tragic. In May 2002, the roof of the assembly and testing complex at "Baikonur" collapsed on it. The damaged spacecraft was cut into pieces and sold as scrap metal.