Sea Launch

Sea Launch is a floating spaceport in the Pacific Ocean to launch Zenit modification rockets. The last launch from it took place in 2014, as due to the deterioration of relations between Moscow and Kiev, the supply of Russian engines RD-171 manufactured by Energomash ceased. They were used in the Zenit rocket - the only one adapted for launches from a floating cosmodrome. Then the Sea Launch was mothballed.

History

2021: Recapitalization of the project for 5.8 billion rubles

In mid-July 2021, it became known about the significant recapitalization of the S7 Group space project. According to Kommersant, citing data from the SPARK-Interfax system, the authorized capital of Marine Launch Space Center LLC (Primorsky Krai), serving the floating cosmodrome of the same name, increased from 1 million to 5.84 billion rubles.

The change was made to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities on July 15, 2021. The sole shareholder at this point is S7 Group member JSC Sibir Airlines.

Space project S7 capitalized for 5.8 billion rubles

In July 2021, press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov noted that the share of private investment in space exploration is growing, it is becoming more applied, but without state support, space exploration is impossible.

We are also a country where they also made private investments for more than a year, - remember, this is Sea Start - there was a good share of private investments, "he said, adding that" more  and more private investments, "as well as" the applied nature of space exploration will grow.

According to Peskov, private cosmonautics is somehow associated with quasi-support from the state - these are various forms of subsidies, lending, state orders, etc. Therefore, space exploration without the leading role of the state is almost impossible - it is too expensive, too voluminous and capital-intensive.

By mid-July 2021, the S7 development center  continues to work on the creation of a two-stage launch vehicle with a liquid-propellant rocket engine with a returned first stage. It is expected that its achievements will be used in the industrial production of a medium-class launch vehicle for launch from the Sea Launch Launch site.

By July 2021, the space center is actually not working due to the fact that since 2014 the United States has not used the services of a floating cosmodrome after the start of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.^[1]

2020: Sea Launch arrived in Russia from the USA

The Sea Launch floating cosmodrome was successfully moored at the Slavic Shipyard in Primorye, company director Andrei Yakimchuk told Interfax in March 2020.

"Everything went according to plan, like an hour," he said. According to him, four tugboats were involved, now border, customs clearance is underway, the crew is on the ship.

Yakimchuk added that at the end of March, the Xin Guang Hua ship with the launch platform of the Sea Launch floating cosmodrome will arrive at the plant.

2019

The State Department gave permission to relocate the Sea Launch to Russia

In December 2019, the US Department of State issued permission to the S7 group of companies to relocate the Sea Launch floating cosmodrome to Russia, RIA Novosti was told in the S7 press service^[2].

According to the interlocutor of the agency, the relocation will take place in 2020. The new port for the Sea Launch will be the village of Slavyanka south of Vladivostok, 80 kilometers from the DPRK.

As a RIA Novosti source in the rocket and space industry reported, if the platform continues to be based in the United States, launches of a new rocket from it will be almost impossible: an agreement between Moscow and Washington provides only for launches of the Russian-Ukrainian Zenit rocket.

The issue of changing the location of the platform to Vladivostok, Soviet Harbor, Crimea and Vietnam was discussed in 2013 and 2015, but in 2016 the S7 Group signed a contract with Sea Launch to purchase the Sea Launch project, which included the Sea Launch Commander ship, the Odyssey platform, ground equipment in the base port of Long Rights, including the intellectual sign.

Later, the S7 group of companies became the full owner of the floating cosmodrome, but the launch activity did not continue.

For further operation of the platform in Russia, Roscosmos previously proposed launching the Soyuz-5 rocket from it. To do this, as before, the platform will have to go to the equatorial region of the Pacific Ocean.

Sea Launch can be relocated from California to the Russian Far East

The satellite launch complex from the Sea Launch marine platform can be relocated from the United States to the Russian Far East, RIA Novosti news agency reported in April 2019, citing a source in the rocket and space industry. The change of missile will not allow the project to work under American jurisdiction.

The main problem, says a source at RIA Novosti, is the need to license a new Russian missile in American controlling organizations. Initially, the Ukrainian Zenit missile was used in the project, but its production was stopped in 2014. The project was reoriented to the promising Russian carrier Soyuz-5. However, in order to obtain a license for a new missile, the Russian side will have to disclose to the American side all technical documentation. Since the disclosure of documentation for a promising medium in Russia is not even considered, the only way out is to relocate the Sea Launch to Russian territory.

2018: Closing of the transaction on the purchase of the cosmodrome for 6.28 billion rubles

The deal to sell RSC Energia assets of the Sea Start project S7 Group has been completed, the company's press service said on Tuesday. RSC Energia previously clarified that the purchase price of the assets of the Sea Launch complex is 6.28 billion rubles.

"To implement the agreement, it was necessary to obtain permits from the state authorities of Russia and the United States. In addition, it was necessary to sign several agreements between the organizations involved in the project on the settlement of certain obligations between them. At the moment, all these conditions have been fulfilled, "the company noted

The press service clarified that this made it possible to complete the transaction and make appropriate entries in the ship's register on the transfer of ownership rights to ships to buyers, as well as sign transfer acts certifying alienation to buyers of equipment. A final settlement has been made with the sellers.

"In accordance with the agreement, RSC Energia will continue to participate in the Sea Launch project as a supplier of components and will assist S7 Group in the operation and maintenance of the complex. It is also planned that Energia will carry out development work to adapt the Soyuz-5 middle-class rocket for launches from the Sea Launch complex, the company added^[3].

In turn, the general director of S7 Space ("daughter" of the S7 Group) Sergey Sopov said that in the near future - to restore the launch activity of the cosmodrome as quickly as possible.

"According to our estimates, in the next 15 years we can conduct about 70 space launches," he said.

The new owners say they are ready to resume launches from 2019, purchase 50 new missiles and add an option for another 35.

S7 plan to replace the Ukrainian missile with the Russian Soyuz-5 development, but it will be tested only in 2024. Experts note that it is not yet possible to replace the Zenit with another missile.

S7 SpaceDirector General Sergei Sopov said that before the advent of a new medium-class carrier, the Zenit rocket will be used for launches.

The contract for the 12 first and second stages of Zenit was signed with Yuzhmash, two missiles are ready and waiting for the supply of engines and a control system.

By November 2018, it is planned to deliver components to the port of Long Beach in California. And there to conduct the final assembly of the Zenit-3SL for the Sea Launch, in order to launch missiles at least four times a year starting in 2019.

In other words, Ukraine will not directly engage in the supply of missile technologies to Russia - formally they will be delivered to the United States.

At the same time, Sopov noted that the port of Long Beach is located only 14 kilometers from the office of the company SpaceX American billionaire Ilon Mask.

"Our project will have to exist in conditions of fierce competition with American space companies," the head of S7 Space emphasized.

He called the price and quality of services the main competitive advantage of Sea Launch.

"It is necessary to make the customer of launches when working with us warm, cozy and comfortable, and fulfill all their obligations on time with due quality and within the framework of the money that we agreed on," said Sopov.

Interestingly, in March 2018, Sopov stated that Soyuz-5 comes out too expensive, in addition, it still does not satisfy the company in terms of characteristics.

"In fact, this is a thick and heavy Zenit rocket. Why make a new Zenit so that after 15 years it becomes obsolete?, "He said

At the same time, experts note that Mask missiles, for example, have a second stage in dry mass twice as much as the Zenit. If Soyuz-5 is the same, or, as Sopov says, even harder, then it will automatically lose.

2016

Russian S7 announces the purchase of a cosmodrome

In 2016, it was announced that a group of companies would become the owner of Sea Launch. S7 The transaction to purchase the property of the floating cosmodrome closed on April 17, 2017.

The subject of the deal was the Sea Launch Commander, the Odyssey platform with missile segment equipment installed on them, ground equipment at the base port of Long Beach in the United States and the Sea Launch trademark.

Settlement agreement between RSC Energia and Boeing: launch of American astronauts on the ISS at the expense of debt

On March 30, 2016, the head of Roscosmos state corporation Igor Komarov said that the Sea Launch project was being prepared for sale and a buyer had already been found. However, he did not specify who the investor was and the volume of the transaction.

In response to a statement by Igor Komarov, Boeing in April 2016 filed a petition in the Central District of California to ban the sale of a floating cosmodrome and consortium. Boeing's lawsuit was granted a month later. In May, a California court ordered RSC Energia to pay Boeing compensation in the amount of $330 million (about 20 billion rubles). The company has been trying to recover debt from project partners - Russian and Ukrainian enterprises - through the court for several years. In 2013, Boeing sued RSC Energia to recover $92 million and $130 million, as well as interest. This amount was formed after the bankruptcy of the consortium in 2009.

After the preliminary agreement reached by RSC Energia with Boeing to resolve the dispute over the Sea Launch project on July 22, 2016, the court of the Central District of California suspended all actions to collect debt from the Russian enterprise. And on March 16, 2017, an American court closed Boeing's lawsuit against RSC Energia: the parties signed a settlement agreement. After that, NASA entered into an agreement with Boeing to provide seats for American astronauts on Russian Soyuz manned ships for flights to the ISS in 2017-2019, RSC Energia will provide seats as part of paying off debts to Boeing.

2014: Project freeze due to conflict in Ukraine

In 2014, the Sea Launch, in which the United States and Norway also participated, was frozen due to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

On August 22, 2014, a message was published on the Sea Launch consortium website to suspend launch activities under the Sea Launch program. Due to the lack of orders, the floating platform and command vessel were mothballed. The programme was scheduled to resume between mid-2015 and mid-2016. But that didn't happen.

In September 2014, the first information appeared in the media about the sale of the project to an unnamed Israeli investor. However, the general director of the consortium Sea Launch Sergey Gugkaev denied information about the sale plans.

2013: For all the time 31 missiles have been launched, two launches unsuccessful

Until 2013, 31 missiles were launched from the Sea Launch. Two launches were unsuccessful.

2011: Resume launches

In 2011, launches resumed.

2009: Bankruptcy, reorganization, SRC Energia receives 95%

In the summer of 2009, Sea Launch announced its bankruptcy. Low launch intensity led to loss-making. At the beginning of the Sea Launch project, it was expected that at least five launches would be carried out annually. However, in fact, in ten years (1999-2009), 30 were implemented - an average of three per year.

During the bankruptcy procedure, Boeing settled with creditors for the entire consortium, paying them $448 million. In the same year, the American company demanded that partners reimburse their costs. The Norwegian company paid its part of the debt in 2009-2010.

After the reorganization, the leading role in the project was given to SRC Energia"." As a result of the reorganization of the subsidiary of the Russian corporation, Energia Overseas Ltd received a 95 percent stake in the company, three percent withdrew, Boeing two percent - Aker.

1996

Sea Launch was founded in 1996 with the aim of organizing the launch of communication satellites into geostationary orbit by a Zenit-3SL launch vehicle from the Odyssey floating platform. Starting from the equator allows (all other things being equal) to seriously benefit in the mass of the output payload.

1995: Foundation of a consortium with investments of $3.5 billion

In 1995, American Boeing, Russian SRC Energia, Norwegian shipbuilding company Kvaerner, Ukrainian design bureau Yuzhnoye and software Yuzhmash founded the International Consortium Sea Launch Company to implement one of the most ambitious ideas in the history of cosmonautics.

The American side owned 40 percent, the Russian - 25, the Norwegian - 20 and the Ukrainian 15 percent.

At the first stage, about $3.5 billion was invested in the project. The Sea Launch consortium was located in Switzerland - in Bern, subsequently the headquarters was moved to Nyon.

The Sea Launch floating cosmodrome is a former Norwegian oil platform that was adapted to launch Zenit-3SL modification missiles of the Zenit family, which experts call brilliant and perfect.

In 1995-2009, Boeing played the role of the head integrator of the project. In addition, the American company created the lead block of the launch vehicle, designed to accommodate payload, and provided its system integration.

Aker Solutions prepared a marine platform and built a special vessel for its maintenance. The installation of missile systems and equipment on an assembly and command vessel was carried out at the Gunner Shipyard (St. Petersburg, Russia).

Zenit was then the only robotic missile suitable for launch from the Sea Launch platform: after being installed in a vertical state, it is independently fueled and discards docking attachments.

For the Sea Launch, this was a prerequisite: no people should remain on the platform. As a result, a team of two hundred people is enough to launch Zenit, while almost 1.5 thousand serve the launches of Soyuz on Baikonur.

As part of the Sea Launch project, a rocket and space complex was built in which experts distinguish four components: the marine segment, the rocket segment, the spacecraft segment and the funds involved.

The missile segment consists of a three-stage environmentally friendly Zenit-3SL launch vehicle and complexes of technological equipment for the preparation and launch of the launch vehicle.

The Zenit-3SL launch vehicle includes:

• two-stage launch vehicle Zenit-2S, developed and manufactured by the Ukrainian design bureau Yuzhnoye and the Yuzhmash production association;

• DM-SL booster unit (third stage) created by SRC Energia Corporation;

• payload unit developed by Boeing.

Responsible for the creation of the Zenit-3SL launch vehicle was the Yuzhnoye design bureau, which is located in the Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk.

For each launch from the Sea Launch, it was necessary to assemble the missile hull in Ukraine, install Russian components on it, send it in parts to the United States, assemble and install the missile on a ship, ship it to the equator, launch and return. Such an algorithm complicates and increases the cost of launches.

1993: Framework Agreement for Consortium with Boeing and Kvaerner

In March 1993, the Russian company NPO Energia invited the American aerospace company Boeing to participate in the project. In November of the same year, in the city of Turku (Finland), at a meeting of representatives of the NGO Energia, Boeing, as well as the Norwegian shipbuilding enterprise Kvaerner (later Aker Solutions), a framework agreement was signed on the creation of a marine cosmodrome and the need to establish an international company.

In March 1994, the Ukrainian software "Southern Machine-Building Plant named after A.M. Makarov" (Yuzhmash) and the design bureau "Yuzhnoye" were involved in the work on the project.

1991-1992: NPO Energia seeks a place to create a sea-based cosmodrome

In 1991-1992, NPO Energia named after S.P. Korolev (since 1994 - RSC Energia named after S.P. Korolev) conducted preliminary research on the creation of a sea-based rocket and space complex.

Notes