Re:why an SLBM... (Score 2)

I am involved in a space project, and we have selected this same launcher. It simply is the cheapest one around at the moment. The Makeyev corporation (designer and builder of the thing) and/or Russian navy have some 200 (I beleive) decomissioned ones left over since the START-I (or -II) treaty. These missiles have to be destroyed, and the simplest way to do this is by launching them. Then, why not put something useful on it? Note that the original launcher is not capable of launching something into orbit as far ads I know. Here, they use a solid-propellant kick stage to achieve that. And about launching from subs; I'm not quite sure why they do that, probably something political involving the navy, missile ownership and free launch training, buit it has been done before. Some German microsats were launched on a Shtil (a larger version of Volna) from a sub in '98 or '99. A number of suborbital microgravity missions have been flown with this Volna.