Long Beach, Calif., September 3, 2007 – Rocket segments for the Zenit-3SL system arrived last week at Home Port, as Sea Launch transitions to mission operations. The hardware will support the launch of the Thuraya 3 satellite in October, as well as additional upcoming missions into 2008.
The segments for the Zenit-3SL system began their journey in Dnepropetrovsk and Moscow and were transported by rail to the Port of Oktyabrsk, Ukraine, on the Black Sea. Thirty-five days later, the shipment arrived in Long Beach, Calif., on the Condock, a roll-on/roll-off vessel based in Germany.
The crew of the Condock unloaded its cargo for storage in an on-site warehouse at Home Port. The Sea Launch team will draw from this inventory to assemble the 3-stage vehicle for future missions. The Zenit-3SL includes the Zenit-2S booster and a Block DM-SL upper stage.
This is the first in a series of planned shipments resulting from long-term Sea Launch contracting initiatives with Sea Launch partners for the production of rocket segment hardware to meet current and future launch opportunities.
About Sea Launch Company
Sea Launch Company, LLC, based in Long Beach, Calif., provides heavy lift launch services to commercial satellite customers. With the advantage of a launch site on the Equator, the Zenit-3SL rocket can lift a heavier spacecraft mass or provide longer life on orbit, offering best value plus schedule assurance. For more information, please visit the Sea Launch website, at: www.sea-launch.com.
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Contact: Paula Korn, 562.499.4729 or 562.254.5684 (cell), paula.korn@sea-launch.com
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