SEA LAUNCH

September 11, 2009 - 2:28 am 25 Comments

Sea Launch is a spacecraft launch service that uses a mobile sea platform for equatorial launches of commercial payloads on specialized Zenit 3SL rockets. As of January 2007 it had embled and launched 24 rockets with two failures and one partial failure.

The sea-based launch system means the rockets can be fired from the optimum position on Earth’s surface, considerably increasing payload capacity and reducing launch costs compared to land-based systems.

The Sea Launch consortium of four companies from the United States, Russia, Ukraine and Norway, was established in 1995 and their first rocket was launched in March 1999. It is managed by Boeing with participation from the other shareholders.

All commercial payloads have been communications satellites intended for geostationary transfer orbit with such customers as EchoStar, DirecTV, XM Satellite Radio, and PanAmSat.

The launcher and its payload are embled on a purpose-built ship Sea Launch Commander in Long Beach, California. It is then positioned on top of the self-propelled platform Ocean Odyssey and moved to the equatorial Pacific Ocean for launch, with the Sea Launch Commander serving as command center.

Duration : 0:10:1


[youtube dQXE9ar0S3Y]

25 Responses to “SEA LAUNCH”

  1. SergeiPilipenko Says:

    The so-called « …
    The so-called «Ukraine» is of no importance. The rockets for the Sea Launch program are designed and made not in the Ukraine, but in Novorossia, in Ekaterinoslav. And these rockets are made by Russian people. The engines RD-171 for these rockets are made in Moscow.

  2. Ariellex182 Says:

    rofl@ maybe you are …
    rofl@ maybe you are brothers. my dad works on sea launch ocassionally. he DOES work on all of the satellites, but doesn’t go to launch on all of them.

  3. m1leswilliams Says:

    Maybe you are …
    Maybe you are brothers.

  4. Olegek1985 Says:

    Glory ukranian …
    Glory ukranian rocket Zenit-3SL!!!

  5. glassperlenspiel Says:

    GOOD LUCK SEA …
    GOOD LUCK SEA LAUNCH PROJECT!!!

  6. Lovehearts78 Says:

    The Commander was …
    The Commander was built in Glasgow…

  7. masterchief377 Says:

    They blur out the …
    They blur out the rocket motors because they are either not yet patented by the manufacturer or they are used on other tools for US National Defense.

  8. tedsked1 Says:

    woah, gnarly dude :o
    woah, gnarly dude :o

  9. nametroubles Says:

    seriously? my dad …
    seriously? my dad is also!

  10. tedsked1 Says:

    Yaaay, my dad is …
    Yaaay, my dad is the chief engineer :D

  11. TheRealFlyingPenguin Says:

    Actually, their job …
    Actually, their job is to get it into orbit.

    That said. They, SeaLaunch, are the ones providing the rocket stages (which come from their Russian & Ukrainian partners). They are responsible for maintenance, embly, testing, launch and in-flight guidance controll.

    Until the payload is in the orbit the customer wanted, they are in control, and any failure between here and there is their problem and failure.

  12. TheRealFlyingPenguin Says:

    I thought it was …
    I thought it was the Russian Block DM-SL?

    I know they are both used with the Ukrainian Zenit rocket, but I’ve only seen the DM-SL mentioned in regards to the SeaLaunch program.

  13. lenizdat Says:

    а зачем на видео …
    а зачем на видео замазаны сопла ракеты ? что скрывают? время смотреть 01:01

  14. slug96 Says:

    there home base is …
    there home base is in Terminal Island. I can see them from my house

  15. a1oner Says:

    well, it’s just a …
    well, it’s just a professional ethic to blur engines. btw, these engines are russian RD-171, world most powerful. They were used on “Energia” rocket, which had a max payload of 100 (one hundred)tonns to low orbit.

  16. ellepadernal Says:

    ur ryt man! my dad …
    ur ryt man! my dad is working in sea launch commander and he said that many nationalities own the company

  17. diggers96 Says:

    how, amazing.how do …
    how, amazing.how do i get a job. i am very reserved and am a great swimmer ,love diving.spheres and love exploration.

  18. standauffish Says:

    Yes You are not …
    Yes You are not supposed to see that they are ‘really Delta IV heavy lifters :D

  19. hitlerreix Says:

    Who can tell me …
    Who can tell me what secret has ukrainien rocket nozless

  20. sustayne Says:

    What I don;t get is …
    What I don;t get is if they rocket fails even just 10 seconds into the flight, the launch still occurred. How would the failure of the rocket translate in to a SeaLaunch failure (unless the company had a vested interest in either the rocket itself or its payload)? Their job is to get it off the ground.

  21. chrigel1234 Says:

    Why did they blur …
    Why did they blur the engines at 1:00? Something to hide…?

  22. reinramos Says:

    the officials of …
    the officials of the commander specially the captain and the chief steward are bad officials

  23. zenkonami Says:

    A credit to them …
    A credit to them for many successful launches, but I must say there is something telling about a video showcasing commercial launches that (near the end) simulates a view from space showing geopolitical boundaries on earth below.

    Not a criticism necessarily, just an observation compared to other orbital perspectives.

  24. hpadt1987 Says:

    actually the …
    actually the commander was built in norway, however the rig was japanese, destroyed by fire and re-fitted in norway.

  25. WojciechSz Says:

    No, it’s …
    No, it’s international company. When you talk about commercial space companies, something like country or nationality don’t exist.

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