Tungsten rods won't loose much if any mass from atmospheric r-entry. Kinetic energy strikes can be very precise, and the resulting explosion can be near nuclear levels, without all the bothersome radiation.
The Space Shuttle was funded by DOD money, it had a cargo bay big enough to fit a school bus in. In the published photos, they show it launching little satellites the size of a washing machine. Hmmm, kind of overkill for those little payloads... Also, the DOD had (has?) it's own shuttle...