Russian Space Shuttle

Folly, Or Not?
The Russians have test launched their own version of a "mini-shuttle", according to AP reports:

MOSCOW - Russia on Friday successfully test-launched a mini-shuttle spacecraft on a sea-based ballistic missile, Russian news agencies reported.

The Demonstrator spacecraft, which was launched on a converted Volna booster rocket from the Borisoglebsk nuclear submarine in the Barents Sea, landed in the Kura test range on Russia's Far East Kamchatka Peninsula.

The spacecraft is to be folded up and transported to the international space station on a Russian cargo ship, and is to be used to bring cargoes back to earth, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported. It was built on contract for the European Space Agency and the German firm EADS ST, the Interfax news agency said.

Three previous launches failed, ITAR-Tass said, but this time the Demonstrator launched successfully.

"The unfolding and inflating system worked successfully in space, the heat protection did not let the craft down in the dense layers of the atmosphere," ITAR-Tass quoted the Russian space agency as saying.

Here's more

RIA Novosti reported that telemetric data indicated that Demonstrator 2 successfully entered orbit and later re-entered the Earth's atmosphere. Data obtained during the test flight will be used to develop a new generation of descent modules. This test model is not reusable, although future mini-shuttles are planned to be reusable. The 146 kg (322 lbm) mini-shuttle is 0.8 meters (2.6 ft) in diameter when folded. The Babakin Science Research Center developed the mini-shuttle. The mini-shuttle began development as part of the "Mars 96" project which was later cancelled due to budget cuts.

The sub-orbital launch was made from the Barents Sea by the submerged K-44 Ryazan submarine, with the shuttle attached to Volna (Wave) which is based on an earlier RSM-50 ICBM (NATO designation SS-N-18).

Well, if it's working, it's working. Why is that one working and not the American one?