Zenit

by Jean-Jacques Serra
listing by Gunter Krebs
The Zenit rockets are not derived from ballistic missiles as most of the NPO Yuzhnoye (Dniepropetrovsk, Ukraine) achievements. There ware designed from the start for space missions. The first stage of the Zenits is used as booster for the Energia launcher (known as Zenit-1).

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Two-stage Zenit-2 (J-1/SL-16)

The Zenit 2 (11K77) has a constant diameter of 3.9 m. It is 57 m high and weighs 460 tons at liftoff with a 15-ton payload. Both stages use liquid propellant: kerosene-LOX

The first stage is equipped with a RD-170/171 motor (Glouchko, NPO Energomash) with 4 combustion chambers. It provides 7259 kN thrust at ground level and 7911 kN is vaccum (ISp = 337 s). The RD-171 version of the motor can be oriented on 2 axis, the RD-170 Energia on 1 axis. The stage contains 318.8 tons propellant and burns during 140 seconds.

The second stage features an RD-120 (Glouchko, NPO Energomash) with single fixed nozzle. It is joined with 4 vernier motors (NPO Yuzhnoye) for pilotage. It provides 834 kN thrust (ISp = 350 s) and can function during upto 315 seconds to match the mission's need.

Zenit 2 is intended for LEO and MEO upto 1500 km altitude. The maximum payload weight is 13.74 tons in circular 200 km orbit 51° or 11.38 tons in sun-synchronous 200 km/99° from Tyuratam.

Until now it has launched:
- MEO: SIGINT ( Cosmos series) and remote sensing ( Resurs O)
- LEO: Kuban photographic reconnaissance satellites ( Cosmos series)

Possible evolutions:
- 3-stage version with a Block-DM of Proton
- 3 or 4 stage version with NTO-UDMH propellant

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Zenit 2 launches

#	Launch id	Payload	Launch date	Type	Status (orbit in perigee x apogee x inc. x period)
1	n/a	R&D suborbital	13 Apr 1985	Zenit-2
2	85053	R&D suborbital	21 Jun 1985	Zenit-2	intended to be suborbital but some debris reached orbit
3	85097	Cosmos 1697 [ Tselina-2]	22 Oct 1985	Zenit-2
4	85121	Cosmos 1714 [ Tselina-2]	28 Dec 1985	Zenit-2	Failure: second stage failed to ignite
5	86056	Cosmos 1767	30 Jul 1986	Zenit-2
6	86080	Cosmos 1786	22 Oct 1986	Zenit-2
7	87016	Cosmos 1820	14 Feb 1987	Zenit-2
8	87027	Cosmos 1833 [ Tselina-2]	18 Mar 1987	Zenit-2
9	87041	Cosmos 1844 [ Tselina-2]	13 May 1987	Zenit-2
10	87065	Cosmos 1871	1 Aug 1987	Zenit-2
11	87071	Cosmos 1873	28 Aug 1987	Zenit-2
12	88039	Cosmos 1943 [ Tselina-2]	15 May 1988	Zenit-2
13	88102	Cosmos 1980	23 Nov 1988	Zenit-2
14	90046	Cosmos 2082 [ Tselina-2]	22 May 1990	Zenit-2
15	n/a	[Tselina-2]	4 Oct 1990	Zenit-2	Failure: first stage engine exploded after 3 seconds
16	n/a	[Tselina-2]	30 Aug 1991	Zenit-2	Failure: second stage exploded
17	n/a	[Tselina-2]	5 Feb 1992	Zenit-2	Failure: second stage malfunction
18	92076	Cosmos 2219	17 Nov 1992	Zenit-2
19	92093	Cosmos 2227 [ Tselina-2]	25 Dec 1992	Zenit-2
20	93016	Cosmos 2237	26 Mar 1993	Zenit-2
21	93059	Cosmos 2263	16 Sep 1993	Zenit-2
22	93059	Cosmos 2278	23 Apr 1994	Zenit-2
23	94053	Cosmos 2290	26 Aug 1994	Zenit-2
24	94074	Resurs O1-3	4 Nov 1994	Zenit-2
25	94077	Cosmos 2297	24 Nov 1994	Zenit-2
26	95058	Cosmos 2322	30 Oct 1995	Zenit-2
27	96051	Cosmos 2333	4 Sep 1996	Zenit-2
28	n/a	[Tselina-2]	20 May 1997 at 07:07 UT	Zenit-2	Failure: first stage engines shutdown 48 s after takeoff
29	98043	A: Resurs O1-4 B: Fasat Bravo C: Tmsat D: Techsat 2 E: Wespac F: Safir 2	10 Jul 1998 at 06:27 UT	Zenit-2
30	98045	Cosmos 2360	28 Jul 1998 at 9:15 UT	Zenit-2
31	n/a	Globalstar 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21	9 Sep 1998 at 20:29 UT	Zenit-2	Failure: second stage main engines shut down 272s after takeoff.
32	99039	Okean O2-1	17 Jul 1999 at 06:38 UT	Zenit-2
33	00006	Cosmos 2369	3 Feb 2000 at 09:26 UT	Zenit-2
34	00056	Cosmos 2372	25 Sep 2000 at 10:10 UT	Zenit-2
35	01056	A: Meteor 3-07 B: Kompas C: Badr B D: Maroc-Tubsat E: Reflector	10 Dec 2001 at 17:19 UT	Zenit-2
36	04021	Cosmos 2406	10 Jun 2004 at 01:28 UT	Zenit-2
37	07029	Cosmos 2406	29 Jun 2007 at 10:00 UT	Zenit-2
38	11065	Fobos-Grunt	8 Nov 2011 at 20:16 UT	Zenit-2FG	Mars probe, failed to leave earth orbit 13200 kg

Notes: All launches from Tyouratam (Baikonur).

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Zenit 3SL launches (Sea Launch)

#	Launch id	Payload	Launch date	Type	Status (orbit in perigee x apogee x inc. x period)
1	99014	Demosat	28 Mar 1999 at 01:30 UT	Zenit-3SL	First Sea Launch
2	99056	DBS 1R	10 Oct 1999 at 03:28 UT	Zenit-3SL
3	n/a	ICO 1	12 Mar 2000 at 14:49 UT	Zenit-3SL	Failure: second stage shut down early because of an error in the programming sequence
4	00043	Panamsat 9	28 Jul 2000 at 22:49 UT	Zenit-3SL
5	00066	Thuraya 1	21 Oct 2000 at 05:52 UT	Zenit-3SL	210 x 35891 km x 6.3°
6	01012	XM 2	18 Mar 2001 at 22:33 UT	Zenit-3SL
7	01018	XM 1	8 May 2001 at 22:10 UT	Zenit-3SL
8	02030	Galaxy 3C	15 Jun 2002 at 22:39 UT	Zenit-3SL	224 x 41230 km x 0°
9	03026	Thuraya 2	10 Jun 2003 at 13:56 UT	Zenit-3SL	1200 x 35786 km x 6.3°
10	03034	Echostar 9	08 Aug 2003 at 03:31 UT	Zenit-3SL
11	03044	Galaxy 13	01 Oct 2003 at 04:03 UT	Zenit-3SL
12	04001	Estrela Do Sul	11 Jan 2004 at 04:13 UT	Zenit-3SL
13	04016	Directv 7S	5 May 2004 at 12:42 UT	Zenit-3SL	single direct-ascent burn to GTO
14	04024	Apstar 5	29 Jun 2004 at 03:59 UT	Zenit-3SL	Partial failure: 722 x 21618 km x 0.5° orbit, the upper stage shutdown 54 seconds early
15	05008	XM 3	1 Mar 2005 at 03:51 UT	Zenit-3SL	2468 x 35786 km x ?°
16	05015	Spaceway 1	26 Apr 2005 at 07:31 UT	Zenit-3SL
17	05022	Intelsat Americas 8	23 Jun 2005 at 14:03 UT	Zenit-3SL	144 x 35609 km x 0.1°
18	05044	Inmarsat 4F2	8 Nov 2005 at 14:07 UT	Zenit-3SL	322 x 35803 km x 3°
19	06003	Echostar 10	15 Feb 2005 at 23:35 UT	Zenit-3SL	1675 x 35531 km x 0°
20	06010	Jcsat 9	12 Apr 2006 at 23:30 UT	Zenit-3SL	235 x 35520 km x 0°
21	06023	Galaxy 16	18 Jun 2006 at 07:50 UT	Zenit-3SL
22	06034	Koreasat 5	22 Aug 2006 at 03:27 UT	Zenit-3SL
23	06049	XM 4	30 Oct 2006 at 23:49 UT	Zenit-3SL
24	n/a	NSS 8	30 Jan 2007 at 23:22 UT	Zenit-3SL	Failure: collapsed on the launch pad. Engine failed because of a metal particule in the pump.
25	08001	Thuraya 3	15 Jan 2008 at 11:49 UT	Zenit-3SL
26	08013	Directv 11	19 Mar 2008 at 22:48 UT	Zenit-3SL	248 x 36485 km
27	08024	Galaxy 18	21 May 2008 at 09:43 UT	Zenit-3SL	2550 x 35636 km
28	08035	Echostar 11	16 Jul 2008 at 05:21 UT	Zenit-3SL
29	08045	Telstar 9	24 Sep 2008 at 09:28 UT	Zenit-3SL
30	09020	Sicral 1B	20 Apr 2009 at 08:16 UT	Zenit-3SL
31	11051	Atlantic Bird 7	24 Sep 2011 at 20:18 UT	Zenit-3SL
32	12030	Intelsat 19	1 Jun 2012 at 05:23 UT	Zenit-3SL	A solar array might have been damaged during the ascent
33	12045	Intelsat 21	19 Aug 2012 at 06:55 UT	Zenit-3SL
34	12069	Eutelsat 70B	3 Dec 2012 at 21:44 UT	Zenit-3SL
35	n/a	Intelsat 27	1 Feb 2013	Zenit-3SL	Failure: first stage shutdown 40 s into the launch (hydrolic pump power supply failure)
36	14030	Eutelsat 3B	26 May 2014 at 21:10 UT	Zenit-3SL

Notes: All launches from the Odyssey plaftorm in the Pacific, on the Equator at 154°W.

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Zenit 3SLB launches (Land Launch)

#	Launch id	Payload	Launch date	Type	Status (orbit in perigee x apogee x inc. x period)
1	08022	Amos 3	28 Apr 2008 at 05:00 UT	Zenit-3SLB
2	09009	Telstar 11N	26 Feb 2009 at 18:30 UT	Zenit-3SLB
3	09032	Measat 1R	21 Jun 2009 at 21:50 UT	Zenit-3SLB
4	09067	Intelsat 15	30 Nov 2009 at 21:00 UT	Zenit-3SLB
5	11056	Intelsat 18	5 Oct 2011 at 21:00 UT	Zenit-3SLB
6	13045	Amos 4	31 Aug 2013 at 20:05 UT	Zenit-3SLB

Notes: All launches from Tyuratam.

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Zenit 3F launches

#	Launch id	Payload	Launch date	Type	Status (orbit in perigee x apogee x inc. x period)
1	11001	Electro L1	20 Jan 2011 at 12:29 UT	Zenit-3F (Fregat SB)	35627 x 35870 km x 0.46°
2	11037	Spektr R	18 Jul 2011 at 02:31 UT	Zenit-3F (Fregat SB)	Fregat upper stage exploded in 2020, producing at least 65 debris
3	15074	Electro L2	11 dec 2015 at 13:45 UT	Zenit-3F (Fregat SB)	35425 x 35793 km x 0.5°
4	17086	Angosat 1	26 Dec 2017 at 19:00 UT	Zenit-3F (Fregat SB)

Notes: All launches from Tyuratam.

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