Size
Zenit-3SL
Function	Carrier rocket
Manufacturer	Yuzhmash (Zenit) RKK Energia (Block-DM) Boeing (fairing)
Country of origin	Ukraine
Height	59.6 metres (196 ft)
Diameter	3.9 metres (13 ft)
Mass	462,200 kilograms (1,019,000 lb)
Stages	Three
Capacity
Payload to GTO
Mass	6,160 kilograms (13,580 lb)^[1]

Associated rockets
Family	Zenit
Derivative work	Zenit-3SLB
Launch history
Status	Retired
Launch sites	Ocean Odyssey
Total launches	36
Success(es)	32
Failure(s)	3
Partial failure(s)	1
First flight	28 March 1999 (test flight)
Last flight	26 May 2014 (Eutelsat 3B)

First stage
Powered by	1 RD-171
Maximum thrust	8,180 kilonewtons (1,840,000 lb_f)
Specific impulse	337 sec
Burn time	150 seconds
Propellant	RP-1/LOX
Second stage
Powered by	1 RD-120 1 RD-8
Maximum thrust	912 kilonewtons (205,000 lb_f) 79.5 kilonewtons (17,900 lb_f)
Specific impulse	349 sec
Burn time	315 seconds
Propellant	RP-1/LOX
Third stage – Block DM-SL
Powered by	1 RD-58M
Maximum thrust	84.9 kilonewtons (19,100 lb_f)
Specific impulse	352 sec
Burn time	650 seconds
Propellant	RP-1/LOX

[edit on Wikidata]

The Zenit-3SL is an expendable carrier rocket operated by Sea Launch. First flown in 1999,^[2] it has been launched 36 times, with three failures and one partial failure. It is a member of the Zenit family of rockets, and is built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau. RKK Energia produces the Block DM-SL upper stage, whilst the payload fairing is produced by Boeing.^[3] Launches are conducted from the Ocean Odyssey platform anchored on the equator in the Pacific Ocean, at a point with 154°W longitude, about 370 kilometres east of Kiritimati.

The Zenit-3SL design began in the late 1980s as the Zenit-3, a proposed replacement for the Proton-K, which would have used a Zenit-2 rocket with a Block D upper stage. This proposal was shelved after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, as Russia inherited the space programme, however the Zenit was manufactured in Ukrainian SSR. Boeing became involved in the programme in 1994. The design was subsequently modified, with a modified version of the Block DM replacing the Block D.^[2]^[4]

Sea Launch integrates the rockets in California, and transfers them to Odyssey via the Sea Launch Commander for transportation to the launch site. Once at the launch site, the rocket is erected on the platform, and a three-day countdown is initiated. The countdown is fully automated,^[5] and personnel are evacuated from the launch platform to Commander prior to launch.

Zenit-3SL launches predominantly carry communications satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbits. As of 2009, the only payload to be launched by a Zenit-3SL that was not a communications satellite was a DemoSat, on the maiden flight. The only launch to be conducted to an orbit other than GTO was that of ICO F-1, which was intended to be placed into medium Earth orbit, however the rocket failed to reach orbit.

Reliability

Of thirty-six rockets launched, three have failed, with a fourth placing its payload into an incorrect, but recoverable orbit. The first failure occurred during the third flight, on 12 March 2000, when a software error resulted in the premature cutoff of the second stage, leaving the ICO F-1 satellite unable to reach orbit.^[6]

On 29 June 2004, during the launch of Apstar 5, the upper stage shut down 54 seconds early due to a wiring fault,^[7] leaving the satellite in a lower than planned orbit. The spacecraft raised itself to the correct orbit by means of its onboard manoeuvring engines, at the expense of fuel intended for stationkeeping once in the correct orbit.

On 30 January 2007, a Zenit-3SL exploded on the launch pad after an engine failure caused by debris in the turbopump. The payload on that flight was the NSS-8 communications satellite for SES New Skies.^[8] This caused a considerable amount of downtime whilst damage to the launch platform was repaired.

On 1 February 2013, during the launch of Intelsat-27, a Zenit-3SL launch vehicle suffered a premature engine shutdown, as the rocket strayed from its lift-off trajectory, plunging into the Pacific Ocean shortly after launch.^[9]

References

^ "Launch System : Performance". www.sea-launch.com. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
^ ^a ^b Wade, Mark. "Zenit". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on August 28, 2003. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
^ "The Rocket - Zenit-3SL". Sea Launch. Archived from the original on 2009-04-04. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
^ "Zenit 3SL". Orbital Report News Agency. Archived from the original on 2006-10-29. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
^ "Zenit-3SL". Launch Vehicles. National Space Agency of Ukraine. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
^ Kyle, Ed (2006-10-30). "2000 Launch Stats". Space Launch Report. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
^ Kyle, Ed (2006-10-30). "2004 Launch Stats". Space Launch Report. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
^ Kyle, Ed (2007-12-26). "2007 Launch Stats". Space Launch Report. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
^ Rhian, Jason (February 5, 2013). "Failure to Sea Launch: Zenit 3SL Racks Up Another Loss – UPDATE". americaspace.com. Retrieved February 5, 2023.

v t e Ukrainian launch vehicles
Cyclone (Tsyklon)	Tsyklon-1М Tsyklon-2 Tsyklon-3 Tsyklon-4 Cyclone-4M
Zenit	Zenit-2 Zenit-2M Zenit-3SL Zenit-3SLB Zenit-3F
Mayak	Mayak
Dnipro (Dnepr)	Dnipro
International projects	Antares VEGA Skyrora Firefly Aerospace
Space agency

v t e Orbital launch systems
List of orbital launch systems Comparison of orbital launch systems
Current	Angara 1.2 A5 Atlas V Ceres 1 1S Chollima-1 Delta IV Heavy Electron Epsilon Falcon 9 Block 5 Falcon Heavy Firefly Alpha Gravity-1 GSLV H-IIA H3^† Hyperbola-1 Jielong 1 3 Kaituozhe 2 Kinetica-1 Kuaizhou 1 1A 11 Long March 2C 2D 2F 3A 3B/E 3C 4B 4C 5 5B 6 6A 7 7A 8 11 11H LVM3 Minotaur I IV V C Nuri OS-M1^† Pegasus XL Proton-M PSLV Qaem 100 Qased RS1^† Shavit 2 Simorgh^† SLS Block 1 Soyuz-2 2.1a / STA 2.1b / STB 2-1v SSLV Starship^† Tianlong-2 Unha Vega original C Vulcan Centaur Zenit 3SL 3SLB 3F Zhuque 2
In development	Antares 330 Ariane 6 Bloostar Cyclone-4M Eris Gravity-2 Hyperbola-2 Irtysh Kuaizhou 21 31 Long March 9 10 Miura 5 MLV Neutron New Glenn New Line 1 OS-M 2 4 Orbex Prime Pallas-1 Qaem-100 Red Dwarf SLS Block 1B Block 2 Soyuz-7 Terran R VLM Vega E Zero Zhuque 3 Zuljanah
Retired	Antares 110 120 130^† 230 230+ Ariane 1 2 3 4 5 ASLV Athena I II Atlas B D E/F G H I II III LV-3B SLV-3 Able^† Agena Centaur Black Arrow Conestoga^† Delta A B C D E G J L M N 0100 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 II III IV Diamant Dnepr Energia Europa I^† II^† Falcon 1 Falcon 9 v1.0 v1.1 v1.2 "Full Thrust" Feng Bao 1 GSLV Mk I H-I H-II H-IIB Juno I Juno II Kaituozhe-1 Kosmos original 1 2/2I 3 3M Lambda 4S LauncherOne Long March 1 1D^† 2A 2E 3 3B 4A Mu 4S 3C 3H 3S 3SII V N1^† N-I N-II Naro-1 Paektusan^† Pilot-2^† R-7 Luna Molniya M L Polyot Soyuz original FG L M U U2 Soyuz/Vostok Sputnik Voskhod Vostok L K 2 2M R-29 Shtil' Volna^† Rocket 3 Safir 1 1A 1B Saturn I IB V Scout X-1 Blue Scout II^† X-2^† X-2M X-3 X-3M X-4 X-2B^† B A B-1 D-1 A-1 E-1 F-1 G-1 Shavit original 1 SLV Space Shuttle SPARK^† Sparta SS-520 Start-1 Terran 1^† Thor Able Ablestar 1 2 Agena A B D Burner 1 2 Delta DSV-2U Thorad-Agena SLV-2G SLV-2H Titan II GLV IIIA IIIB IIIC IIID IIIE 34D 23G CT-3 IV Tsyklon R-36-O original 2 3 Universal Rocket UR-500 Proton Proton-K Rokot Strela Vanguard VLS-1^† Zenit 2 2M 2FG Zhuque 1^†
Classes	Sounding rocket Small-lift launch vehicle Medium-lift launch vehicle Heavy-lift launch vehicle Super heavy-lift launch vehicle
This Template lists historical, current, and future space rockets that at least once attempted (but not necessarily succeeded in) an orbital launch or that are planned to attempt such a launch in the future Symbol ^† indicates past or current rockets that attempted orbital launches but never succeeded (never did or has yet to perform a successful orbital launch)

Reliability

See also

References