MOSCOW – A Sputnik source in the Russian space industry has confirmed thatit is considering the option of reviving a program of peaceful launches ofVoevoda missiles to deliver cargo into orbit around the Earth. Sputnik hasgathered some facts about the characteristics of the carrier rocket basedon the Voevoda missile.

After the START-1 treaty was signed, the Russian government began lookinginto possibilities of utilizing the R-36 Voevoda (NATO reporting name SS-18Satan) missiles, which were not permitted under the restrictions imposedby the treaty. As a result of the project Dnepr, many of them wereconverted to deploy commercial satellites to low Earth orbit. The Russiangovernment terminated the program in 2015 due to worsening relationswith Ukraine, which supplied Zenit boosters for the rockets, but now isconsidering a revival of the program.

*Highly Efficient Carrier*

Originally the SS-18 Satan was famous for its ability to carry MIRVwarheads that could separate into 10 750 kiloton warheads with a largenumber of protective decoys. After the first successful peaceful launchof a converted Satan, engineers came up with the idea to deploy severalsatellites in a manner similar to the how a MIRV would deploy its warheads.In June 2014, one such missile successfully deployed 33 space modulesfrom 17 countries. This innovation allowed reducing the deployment costsand thus made the missile an attractive option for the commercial launches.

*Significant **Payload*

Contrary to other derivatives of the SS-18 rocket, such as Tsyklon-2 and 3,a widely used Dnepr modification had a payload almost twice as large. Itcould carry up to 3,200 kg to low Earth orbit (the closest related UScarrier rocket in the same class is the Antares, which can deploy roughly4,00

*High reliability*

Out of 22 launches of the converted Satan missiles, only one failed. Bycontrast, the Antares series carriers have an 83% success rate. Alongwith a significant supply of unconverted SS-18s (around 150 units) thismakes the Satan an enticing option for creating a commercial carrier rocketon its basis.

*Bonus — Potential Planetary Defense System*

Although such an option doesn’t seem very peaceful, the threat thatasteroids pose to Earth is still quite real. So, Sabit Saitgarayev, asenior researcher at the State Rocket Design Center, suggested in 2013 thatthe Satans could be converted for use against asteroids up to 100 metersin diameter that might endanger Earth. Co