The Boeing-led Sea Launch venture will fly a modified Zenit-3SL booster next January, featuring an increased thrust second-stage motor, that raises the geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) payload capability of the launch vehicle from 5,250kg (11,600lb) to 6,000kg.
Thrust will increase from 190,000lb to 205,000lb (845 kN to 910kN), while new avionics will be lighter. The 6,000kg GTO capacity is greater than that of the rival, International Launch Services' Proton and Atlas launchers and Arianespace's Ariane V.
The Sea Launch venture between Boeing, Ukraine's NPO Yuzhnoye and Russia's RKK Energia has conducted seven successful launches and had one failure. "This is a good record for a totally new system. The Zenit-3SL has performed better than the Ariane V when it started," says Will Trafton, Boeing vice-president expendable launch systems, who chairs the Sea Launch board of directors.
Sea Launch resumed service in June with the flight of Galaxy 3C after a 13-month gap due to delays with customer payload completion.
Source: Flight International
