I’ll be guest bloggin’ over at DefenseTech.org though the end of the week.
My first post— concerning Russian efforts to market commerical launch services using to-be-decomissioned SS-18 ICBMS—is up there now.
While guest blogging, I will still post particularly wonky things at ArmsControlWonk.com.
Boots | December 12, 2004
Very interesting, your blog is. And just a touch quirky. I’m enjoying.
Pavel Podvig | December 12, 2004
Couldn’t comment at DefenseTech.com, so posting it here.
SS-18s have been used for space launches already (four times, to be precise, beginning in 1999. See kosmotras.ru for details).
I’m not sure that START I limits launches – it probably applied only to those 154 SS-18 missiles that it was to eliminate. Russia has already liquidated 200 of SS-18 (see http://russianforces.org/eng/missiles/).
SS-18 toxicity is not a problem at all – quite a few Russian space launchers use the same UDMH fuel.
P.S. I liked your blog very much. A very good resource.