LKS (spacecraft)

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LKS "Light Cosmos Plane"

LKS spacecraft views
Country of origin	Soviet Union
Applications	Crewed spaceplane
Specifications
Launch mass	19.950 kg
Regime	Low Earth
Design life	1979 to 1982
Production
Status	Cancelled (1982)
Launched	0

The LKS (Russian: Лёгкий Космический Самолёт, "Light Cosmos Plane") was a Soviet Union spaceplane project led by Vladimir Chelomey in response to the United States Space Shuttle. The LKS was smaller and cheaper than its American counterpart, but was ultimately discarded in favor of the larger Buran. Claiming that the Buran project was too big, heavy, and expensive for Russia to complete, Chelomey designed the LKS in 1979. He ordered the construction of a full-scale mock-up, as a way to further stimulate interest. The project was never fully sanctioned however, and in 1982, Chelomey was officially ordered by the Soviet government to stop any further development. In March 1983, Chelomey made yet another attempt to obtain permission to build the LKS to repel US Intercontinental ballistic missiles. This too proved futile. In 1991 the mock-up was destroyed, possibly by sabotage.