NEW APPROACHES: A Russian submarine has launched a test version of a new type of inflatable reentry vehicle. It is hoped that the new technology could be used to quickly and inexpensively return experiment packages and possibly even astronauts from the ISS. The article only briefly describes the test article, but the "inflatable reentry vehicle" idea has been kicked around before.

The Encyclopedia Astronautica article suggests in an aside that an SLBM-launched "personal reentry craft" could be the basis for a new extreme sport...and given the Russians' gung-ho attitude towards promoting space tourism, it's certainly something to watch for in the near future if the technology actually pans out. Whether or not it ever gets deployed in reality, the idea sure would make for a great special effects sequence in a science fiction movie.