Footage of Satan 2 test launches
 

I take it the first stage is just a lift motor to get it out of the silo, interesting way of discarding it though, presumably to stop it re-entering the silo?

Test-launch footage of Russian ballistic missile Satan 2 - BBC News

Or did it just break?

Yeah, it's to keep that section from hitting/damaging/re-entering the silo.

Is the section jettisoned to the left a sanction deterrent?

The era of fractional orbital bombardment returns.
Satanic indeed - that thing can approach from the south...

"Late fruit" of the US withdrawal from the 1972 ABM treaty in 2001 .....


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-B...Missile_Treaty

Because in the event of thermo-nuclear war being able to reuse the silo is important?

That had crossed my mind too, but I suppose you would have a hard time convincing the silo crew to launch in the knowledge It would toast them as it departs.

Yes it's always a bit odd that - The US solution was to have the crews well protected from the missile launch in a separate part of the facility - and in the case of the Minuteman II in a separate facility altogether.

Given the locations are in the open, I reckon they buy themselves about 60 mins of extra life - or perhaps a lot less if the other side launches first!

Think bigger and wider.


One of the previous ICBMs - P-36M (in Russian classification) or SS-18 "Satan" (in US classification) was successfully used as a satellite launcher tens of times in the previous 15-20 years. Hopefully it will be the same with new generations, thus safety of the launch facility is an important issue.

My dear chap, for want of being blunt, if anyone launches anything against anyone, you will spend your final moments as a shadow burnt onto a crumbling wall, as will most of the Worlds population on all sides during the final moments of a dying planet.
Safety of the launch facility is to put it in simple terms, a moot point.
It is the dickheads that run the world that need to open their eyes and realise that buried in their concrete bunkers it soon becomes their grave. The likes of Putin, Trump would soon become the commanders of nought and their intransigence and bullheadedness will lead to their own pathetic ends. Ramping up Nuclear capability is not just stupid but a disaster waiting to happen.

NutLoose,


Totally agree with your emotional words about ***heads. Clearly remembering the Cold War years, it seems to me that current politicians are even more irresponsible than old vegetables on two legs we were condemning at that time.


However, my previous point was just about dual-purpose of the rocket, a pure technical issue.

Those repurposed as satellite launchers are usually launched from a standard launch pad rather than a silo.

Seems a thoroughly sensible & elegant means of getting the gas generator out of the way of both silo and weapon.

I'm a little surprised that no - one has commented on the alleged capabilities of the RS-28 as yet, though.