That historic flight would fit entirely in the cargo hold of the Antonov AN-225 Mriya, the world's biggest fully operational plane. But its original mission was very different: born out of the Cold War, the AN-225 was designed to be part of the Soviet space program. It was the first soviet plane to be christened with a Ukrainian name," said Grinberg. The AN-225 carrying the Buran space shuttle was the star of the 1989 Paris air show. Crew members in protective suits stand inside an Antonov An-225 Mriya cargo aeroplane during a delivery of protective masks from China.

Source: CNN July 21, 2020 01:30 UTC