GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES
Medium-weight commercial satellite booster will fly from converted Baikonur pad
After several false dawns, the Sea Launch board of directors has formally agreed to offer Land Launch, a land-based version of the Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket aimed at the medium-weight commercial satellite market in the 2,000-3,500kg (4,400-7,700lb) range.
The launches will take place from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, where work has been under way since the start of the year to convert a launch pad to take the Zenit-3SL. Sea Launch says the service will offer an initial capability from the fourth quarter of 2005 and will lift payloads up to 3,500kg to geosynchronous transfer orbit, and heavier payloads to inclined or lower orbits. Land Launch, which is based on the collaboration of Sea Launch and Space International Services of Russia, says costs will be kept down through the use of the Baikonur Zenit infrastructure.
The new venture, first mooted as far back as 1994 when the Boeing-led Sea Launch company was set up with the Russian and Ukrainian partners, is aimed at exploiting the lower end of the launch market beneath the 4,000-6,000kg payload range of Sea Launch, and the bulk of the 1,000-10,000kg range attacked by Boeing Launch Services. This was set up in 2001 to combine the overall family of launch vehicles offered by the various Boeing-related services, and will manage the marketing and sales of Land Launch.
Sea Launch, which has achieved nine out of 10 successful equatorial launches, is planning an eleventh launch in November.
Source: Flight International
