The Zenit 3SLB or Zenit-3M was a Ukrainian expendable carrier rocket derived from the Zenit-2SB. It was a member of the Zenit family of rockets, which were designed by the Yuzhnoye Design Office. Produced at Yuzhmash, the rocket was a modified version of the Zenit-3SL, designed to be launched from a conventional launch pad rather than the Sea Launch Ocean Odyssey platform. Most of components of the rocket were produced in Russia. The Ukrainian space industry was highly integrated with that of Russia due to its Soviet heritage, but that cooperation was interrupted by the Russo-Ukrainian War beginning in 2014, which effectively led to a hiatus in the Zenit program.[2] The subsequent Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 saw damage to its manufacturing facilities due to Russian missile strikes, and what survived those strikes pivoted to producing military weapons.[3]

Zenit-3SLB/3M
Zenit-3SLB
FunctionCarrier rocket
ManufacturerYuzhmash
Country of origin Ukraine
Size
Height59.6 metres (196 ft)
Diameter3.9 metres (13 ft)
Mass471,000 kilograms (1,038,000 lb)
StagesThree
Capacity
Payload to GTO
Mass3,750 kilograms (8,270 lb)
Associated rockets
FamilyZenit
ComparableZenit-3SLBF
Launch history
StatusRetired
Launch sitesBaikonur Site 45/1
Total launches6
Success(es)6
First flight28 April 2008 (AMOS-3)
Last flight31 August 2013 (AMOS-4)
First stage – Zenit-2SB First stage[1]
Height32.9 m (108 ft)
Diameter3.9 m (13 ft)
Empty mass27,564 kg (60,768 lb)
Gross mass354,350 kg (781,210 lb)
Propellant massRG-1: 90,219 kg (198,899 lb)
LOX: 236,567 kg (521,541 lb)
Powered byRD-171
Maximum thrustSea Level: 7,257 kN (1,631,000 lbf)
Vacuum: 7,908 kN (1,778,000 lbf)
Specific impulseSea Level: 309.5 s (3.035 km/s)
Vacuum: 337.2 s (3.307 km/s)
Burn time140-150 seconds
PropellantLOX/RG-1
Second stage – Zenit-2SB Second stage[1]
Height10.4 m (34 ft)
Diameter3.9 m (13 ft)
Empty mass8,307 kg (18,314 lb)
Gross mass90,794 kg (200,167 lb)
Propellant massRG-1: 23,056 kg (50,830 lb)
LOX: 59,431 kg (131,023 lb)
Powered by1 RD-120
1 RD-8
Maximum thrustRD-120: 912 kilonewtons (205,000 lbf)
RD-8: 79.4 kilonewtons (17,800 lbf)
Specific impulseVacuum:
RD-120: 350 s (3.4 km/s)
RD-8: 342.8 s (3.362 km/s)
Burn time360-370 seconds
PropellantLOX/RG-1
Third stage – Blok DM-SLB
Powered by1 RD-58M
Maximum thrust84.9 kilonewtons (19,100 lbf)
Specific impulse352 sec
Burn time650 seconds
PropellantLOX/RG-1

Launches of Zenit-3SLB rockets were conducted from Site 45/1 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Commercial launches were conducted by Land Launch, and used the designation 3SLB, whilst launches conducted by Federal Space Agency Roskosmos or the Russian Space Forces were planned to use the designation 3M.

It consisted of a Zenit 2SB (Zenit-2M) core vehicle, with a Block DM-SLB upper stage by RSC Energia (Russia). The rocket's fairing was developed by Lavochkin (Khimki, Moscow, Russia).

The launch services were provided by "Land Launch", a subsidiary of Sea Launch, and Space International Services, a Russian/Ukrainian joint venture.

The first launch of a Zenit-3SLB occurred on 28 April 2008, carrying the Israeli AMOS-3 satellite. This was also the first commercial Zenit launch from Baikonur since a failed Globalstar launch in 1998, and the first launch to be conducted by the Land Launch consortium.

Launches

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Flight No. Date and Time(UTC) Payload Orbit Outcome
1 April 28, 2008 AMOS-3 GEO Success[4]
2 February 26, 2009 Telstar 11N GTO Success[5]
3 June 21, 2009 MEASAT-3a GTO Success[6]
4 November 30, 2009 Intelsat 15 GTO Success[7]
5 October 5, 2011 Intelsat 18 GTO Success
6 August 31, 2013 AMOS-4 GTO Success
References:[8]

References

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  • Wade, Mark. "Zenit". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on August 28, 2003. Retrieved 2009-04-15.
  1. ^ a b "Zenit-2SB". Roscosmos (in Russian). Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  2. ^ Bodner, Matthew (June 6, 2016). "How Crimea's annexation hurt Ukraine's space program". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  3. ^ Pultarova, Tereza (2023-08-27). "Lost partnerships destroying Ukraine's space sector faster than Russian missiles, former space chief says". Space.com. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  4. ^ "AMOS 3 (AMOS 60)". space.skyrocket.de. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  5. ^ "Telstar 11N". space.skyrocket.de. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  6. ^ Bergin, Chris (2009-06-21). "Zenit-3SLB launches repaired MEASAT-3a into orbit". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  7. ^ "Zenit rocket launches with communications satellite". Spaceflight Now. November 30, 2009.
  8. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "Zenit family". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-04-15.