Damage Assessment
In the process of verifying her seaworthiness at the launch site, the marine crew confirmed that the Odyssey Launch Platform's main structures remained in good condition and marine systems were operational. The Sea Launch team developed necessary plans and procedures to fully assess the damage and implement the necessary repairs required for recertification to ensure a safe, thorough and efficient return to reliable service. In March, the team completed its damage assessment phase of the Launch Platform, including a full inventory of repair and recertification requirements and scheduling of these activities. The team smoothly transitioned to a fully integrated recovery process to restore all damaged systems back to their original operating capability.
Repairs/Recertification
While the vessel itself did not sustain structural damage and was certified as seaworthy on February 2, some support equipment had to be repaired or replaced, including heat-affected cable and wiring, the launch support umbilical interface to the launch vehicle, and painting of the vessel’s external surfaces. The aft doors of the hangar required re-installation on their supports. The hangar houses and protects the transporter-erector support structure during launch operations.
The most significant damage was the loss of the gas deflector, which was located directly beneath the launch pad. This one-of-a-kind, 280-metric ton steel structure, including its truss supports, directs the engine exhaust away from the platform and controls the acoustic environment. A replacement gas deflector was manufactured in a shipyard near St. Petersburg, Russia. In July, the new structure sailed to Sea Launch Home Port for installation on the Launch Platform in August.
In June, the Sea Launch vessels sailed to Victoria Shipyard at the Esquimalt Graving Dock in British Columbia, Canada, where industrial repairs and large-scale painting of the Odyssey was executed in a professional, environmentally safe environment. We also completed routine maintenance of the Sea Launch Commander. In August, our marine crew took the vessels out to sea for marine tests and then returned to Home Port. Outstanding repair-recertification items will be completed in August and September. The team at the Repair Operations Center continues to track all items, schedule and location logistics, and assess status. As always, safety is our number one priority throughout this process.
The Sea Launch team is proceeding on schedule with all repairs and recertification of the Odyssey Launch Platform and associated launch support equipment. In September, we are expecting delivery of the Thuraya 3 communications satellite, which we will prepare for integration with a Zenit-3SL rocket. We plan to resume launch operations in October. |
