Long Beach, Calif., August 23, 2007 –Sea Launch’s newly manufactured gas deflector arrived at Home Port in Long Beach, Calif., on Aug. 20. Within hours, workers unloaded the 280-metric-ton structure from a cargo vessel, the Thor Amalie, and set it on a barge alongside the pier in preparation for installation on the Odyssey Launch Platform.
The gas deflector structure will be installed at the stern of the Odyssey Launch Platform, beneath the launch pad. Specialized workers are using a Strand Jack hydraulic lift and pneumatic chain hoists for aligning the structure into position. A special team responsible for the fabrication and installation of the gas deflector was assembled several months ago to formulate and execute the plan for this operation.
Lost during the failed January 30 launch attempt, the one-of-a-kind gas deflector directs engine exhaust away from the platform and controls the acoustic environment. The Design Bureau for Transport Machinery (DBTM) of Moscow, Russia, managed construction of the replacement structure at the Baltisky shipyard in St. Petersburg, Russia, where the original deflector was built 10 years ago. DBTM is the prime contractor for the Sea Launch system’s ground support segment.
The Sea Launch vessels returned to Home Port earlier this month from a six-week stay at the Victoria Shipyard in British Columbia, where heavy industrial repairs and painting on the Launch Platform were completed. Final repairs and re-certification of various systems and associated launch support equipment on the Launch Platform are now underway at Home Port.
Installation of the gas deflector is a major milestone among these activities, which are all progressing on schedule. A chronological account of the “Mission Recovery” activities is posted on the Sea Launch website at www.sea-launch.com. The Sea Launch team will transition to mission operations next month, in preparation for the launch of the Thuraya 3 satellite in October.
About Sea Launch Company
Sea Launch Company, LLC, based in Long Beach, Calif., provides heavy lift launch services to commercial satellite customers. With the advantage of a launch site on the Equator, the Zenit-3SL rocket can lift a heavier spacecraft mass or provide longer life on orbit, offering best value plus schedule assurance.
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Contact: Paula Korn, 562.499.4729 or 562.254.5684 (cell), paula.korn@sea-launch.com
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