Zenit rocket

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This article is about the orbital carrier rocket, for the sounding rocket, see Zenit sounding rocket

Zenit

Zenit-2 rocket (Baikonur, 10 December 2001)
Fact sheet
Function	Medium expendable Carrier rocket
Manufacturer	Yuzhnoe Design Bureau
Country of origin	Ukraine
Size
Height	57-59.6 m (187-195 ft)
Diameter	3.9 m (12.7 ft)
Mass	444,900 -462,200 kg (1,011,700 - 1,038,000 lb lb)
Stages	2 or 3
	Capacity
Payload to LEO	Zenit 2 - 13,740 kg (30,290lb)
Payload to SSO	Zenit 2 - 5,000 kg (11,000 lb)
Payload to GTO	Zenit 3SL - 5,250 kg (11,570 lb)
Launch History
Status	Active
Launch Sites	LC-45, Baikonur Cosmodrome Ocean Odyssey
Total launches	61 37 Zenit 2 24 Zenit 3SL
Successes	53 31 Zenit 2 22 Zenit 3SL
Failures	8 6 Zenit 2 2 Zenit 3SL
Maiden flight	Zenit 2:13 April 1985 Zenit 3SL: 28 March 1999
First Stage - Zenit
Engines	1 RD-171
Thrust	8.18 MN (1,839,000 lbf)
Specific Impulse	337 sec
Burn time	150 seconds
Fuel	RP-1/LOX
Second Stage
Engines	1 RD-120, 1RD-8
Thrust	912 kN/79,5 kN (205,025 lbf)
Specific Impulse	349 sec
Burn time	315 seconds
Fuel	RP-1/LOX
Third Stage - Block DM-SL
Engines	1 RD-58M
Thrust	84.9 kN (19,091 lbf)
Specific Impulse	352 sec
Burn time	650 seconds
Fuel	RP-1/LOX

The Zenit rocket (Ukrainian: Зеніт, Russian: Зени́т; meaning Zenith) is a space launch vehicle manufactured by the Yuzhnoe Design Bureau of Ukraine. Zenit was built in the 1980s for two purposes: as a liquid rocket booster for the Energia rocket and, equipped with a second stage, as a stand-alone rocket. Moreover Zenit was planned to take over manned spaceship launches from Soyuz, but these plans were abandoned after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Zenits are launched from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and by the Sea Launch consortium's floating launch platform in the Pacific Ocean. The engines of the Zenit's first and second stages as well as the upper stage of the Zenit-3SL rocket are supplied by Russia. Since the Zenit is not built in Russia, it is planned to be replaced in that service by the new and yet unflown Angara rocket, although Russia does still use the Zenit. There are plans to use an improved Zenit-3SLB rocket for commercial launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome beginning with 2007; this service is marketed as "Land Launch."

Zenit-3SL has launched 23 times with 21 successes and 1 partial success as of November 2006. The one failure, of a Hughes-built communications satellite owned by ICO Global Communications, occurred on the second commercial launch on March 12, 2000 and was blamed on a software error that failed to close a valve in the second stage of the rocket.

In the study entitled The Military Use of Space: A Diagnostic Assessment (csbaonline.org for copies), data compiled by Greg Lucas and Charles Murphy in Appendix 4 of the study shows that among the 16 launchers surveyed, the Zenit 2 is currently the lowest cost vehicle for achieving LEO in terms of payload weight per launch ($1167-1667 per pound), and one of the lowest in terms of total costs per launch ($35-$50 million). [1]

Current models:

	Zenit-2	Zenit-3SL
Stages	2	3
Total length	57 m	59.6 m
Total empty mass	37,600 kg	40,320 kg
Total gross mass	444,900 kg	462,200 kg
Payload	13.74 tonne to LEO	≈6 tonne to GTO
Launch site	Baikonur Cosmodrome	Sea Launch ocean platform
Launches	21 (6 failed) as of 2004-06-10	23 (1 failed, 1 partial success) as of 2006-10-30
Success ratio	71.4%	91.3%
Price per launch	~$45 million	~$90 million

Payload Capacities
Two stage version (Zenit-2)
Payload to LEO		13,740 kg
Payload to PEO		5,000 kg
Payload to GEO		Not designed for GEO
Three stage version (Zenit-3SL)
Payload to LEO		6,100 kg, 3rd stage structural limitation
Payload to MEO		3,965 kg (10,000 km, 45°)
Payload to GEO		1,840 kg
Payload to GTO		5,250 kg (upgraded to 6,000+ kg)

[edit] Zenit 3SL

Zenit-3SL is a three stage carrier rocket developed for and used by the Sea Launch consortium.

It combines:

• two-stage Zenit rocket built by Ukraine's SDO Yuzhnoye/PO Yuzhmash
• Block DM-SL upper stage, provided by Russia's Energia
• nose-cone enclosure for protection of payload during launch, provided by Boeing.

Rockets used by Sea Launch are assembled in Long Beach, California. Launches occur from the Ocean Odyssey offshore launch platform, situated at the equator. The Ocean Odyssey is also used to transport rockets to the launch site.

[edit] External links

• Zenit Family
• Information at Encyclopedia Astronautica
• Information at National National Space Agency of Ukraine
• Information at Orbital Report News Agency