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Zenit-3SL
59.6m
Human (1.8m)
1.8m
Zenit-3SL / Credits: Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons)
UkraineRetired1999–2014
Zenit-3SL
Yuzhnoye / Sea Launch
Ukrainian rocket launched from a converted oil platform on the equator — a unique sea-launch operation.
Zenit-3SL was operated by Sea Launch, a multinational commercial consortium. The rocket was launched from the converted Odyssey oil platform positioned on the equator in the Pacific Ocean, giving it optimal performance for geostationary orbit. The RD-171 engine in its first stage remains one of the most powerful single-chamber rocket engines ever built.
Fun facts
Zenit-3SL launched from a floating platform in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Its RD-171 first-stage engine produces 7,903 kN of thrust — the most powerful single-chamber engine ever built.
The Sea Launch consortium included companies from the US, Russia, Ukraine, and Norway.
Height
59.6 m
Diameter
3.9 m
Mass
471 t
Stages
3
Thrust
7,257 kN
Payload LEO
13,740 kg
Payload GTO
6,100 kg
Total flights
84
Success rate86.3%
71 success3 partial10 failure
Launch pads
- Ocean Odyssey platform, Equatorial Pacific
Upcoming launches
IRIDE 1
31 Dec 2026 · 00:00 UTC
T-about 2 months
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IRIDE 2
31 Dec 2026 · 00:00 UTC
T-about 2 months
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KOMPSAT-6 & PLATiNO 1
30 Apr 2027 · 00:00 UTC
T-6 months
—
