[bufferoverflow]

No, they weren't designed that way. That literally never happened.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buran_(spacecraft)

And if you're talking about just an idea, sci-fi writers were way ahead of USSR.

[dag11]

I think this is what the parent comment is referring to:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baikal_(rocket_booster)

[bufferoverflow]

Never took off. Never went to the prototype stage even. All they made was a mock-up.

Plus he's talking about 70's and 80's, whereas that mock-up was made in 2001.

[ghostcluster]

The point is that the idea itself isn't new, but space tech has been stagnant for decades before a company like SpaceX appeared on the scene

[bufferoverflow]

No, the original comment claimed that the USSR boosters we're designed to glide and land, which they never were.

And rockets landing and taking off many times is a very old idea, also not invented in USSR in the 70's.

[pandaman]

According to the Russian Wiki article, Energiya's first stage was designed to be reusable by the way of parachutes, solid fuel engines and supports, however, the system was not implemented during its two launches and the parachute containers were loaded with other equipment. Wiki gives this as reference: http://www.buran.ru/htm/09-3.htm

[navaati]

Tintin !