Inaugural
Launch
March 27, 1999 |
Sea Launch Company, LLC, is an international partnership of American, Russian, Ukrainian and Norwegian businesses that provides a reliable, cost effective, heavy lift launch service for commercial customers. Building on proven performance and flight-tested hardware, Sea Launch offers superior value, high performance and fully integrated launch services. The Sea Launch equatorial launch site provides the most direct route to geostationary orbit, offering maximum lift capacity for increased payload mass or extended spacecraft life. |
Sea
Launch Vessels and Home Port |
Home
Port Operations
Sea Launch receives customer satellites at Home Port in Long Beach, Calif. Following completion of fueling and encapsulation in the state-of-the-art Payload Processing Facility, the payload unit is transferred to the Assembly and Command Ship for integration with the launch vehicle. The horizontally integrated rocket is then transferred to the Launch Platform, where it is stored in an environmentally controlled hangar during transit to the launch site at the Equator. |
The Rocket - Zenit - 3SL
- Stage 1 and 2: Yuzhnoye/Yuzhmash-produced Zenit
- Stage 3: Energia-produced Block DM
- Payload enclosures and interfaces: Boeing
- Widest Diameter: 14 feet
- Overall length: Approximately 200 feet
- All stages fueled by an environmentally-friendly mix of kerosene/liquid oxygen
- Capacity to geosynchronus transfer orbit: more than 6,100 kg (13,420 lb)
- Flight computer and navigation platform on second and third
stages
- Dedicated range, ideal launch site conditions
- Trajectory to any orbit - any inclination
- Rigorous quality acceptance processes
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Zenit
- 3SL Launch Vehicle |
At Sea Operations
At the launch site, the Launch Platform is positioned at 154 degrees West Longitude. With the Platform ballasted to its launch depth, the rocket is rolled out of its environmentally protected hangar and automatically erected on the launch pad at L-27 hours. Propellant chill-down begins at about L-4 hours, with loading at L-2.5 hours. The transporter/erector arm is lowered away from the rocket at L-17 minutes, signaling all parameters are "go" for launch.
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The Sea Launch Partnership
Sea Launch partners and their operational contributions are:
- Boeing - payload fairing, analytical/physical spacecraft integration,
mission operations, Home Port management
- RSC Energia - Block DM upper stage, launch vehicle integration,
ground systems and launch operations
- SDO Yuzhnoye/PO Yuzhmash - two stages of Zenit-3SL, vehicle
integration support, launch operations support
- Aker ASA - Odyssey Launch Platform and the Sea Launch Commander (Assembly and Command Ship)
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