You're reading: Pivdenmash dispatches to Baikonur two Zenit rockets upgraded after February’s failed launch

The state-run Pivdenny Machine Building Plant (Pivdenmash, Dnipropetrovsk) has resumed the delivery of Zenit rockets for the next launches in the Land Launch program from Baikonur space center, following upgrades carried out after an investigation into the cause of February's failed launch attempt of an Intelsat-27 spacecraft. 

After having their power supply units upgraded and their reliability enhanced, two Zenit rockets were recently dispatched to Baikonur space center, spokesman for the Dnipropetrovsk-based Pivdenne Design Bureau Yuriy Moshnenko told Interfax-Ukraine.

“The Zenit rockets dispatched to Baikonur space center are to be launched in the third and fourth quarter of this year under the Land Launch program,” he said.

As reported, a Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket carrying an Intelsat-27 satellite malfunctioned during launch on February 1, 2013, crashing into the ocean just 2.5 kilometers away from its launch platform in the Pacific.

The Sea Launch consortium published an official report of the Failure Review Oversight Board (FROB) on the investigation into the cause of the failed launch attempt.

According to the report, the FROB concluded that the failure was isolated to the Zenit 3SL 1st stage hydraulic power supply unit, with no other contributing factors were identified.

The Zenit 3SL launcher was designed by Ukrainian Pivdenne Design Bureau (Dnipropetrovsk) and it is based on the Zenit 3 launcher. The Russian Energia Corporation is the maker of the DM-SL upper stage. The 1st stage uses an RD-171 engine made by Russia’s Energomash.

The Sea Launch international consortium was established in 1995. Upon reorganization in 2010, Energia Overseas Limited (EOL), a lower tier subsidiary of Energia Corporation, acquired 95% of the stock, U.S. company Boeing acquired 3% and Norway’s Aker Solutions acquired 2%.

Commercial launches of modernized Zenit rockets with up to 4.5- tonne satellite payloads have, for economic reasons, been performed from Baikonur since 2008. Satellites bigger than 4.5 tonnes are launched from the sea-based platform.

Sea Launch has made 35 Zenit-3SL launches from the mobile platform in the Pacific. One of them was partially successful and two missions failed.

Ukraine’s Pivdenne Design Bureau and Pivdenmash Production Association are the developer and manufacturer of Zenit-3SL carrier rockets. They are key partners of the international consortium in Sea Launch and Land Launch programs.