BAIKONUR. March 16 (Interfax-AVN) - The Zenit-2M launch vehicle, carrying the Kosmos satellite, developed at the request of the Russian Defense Ministry, may be launched form the Baikonur Space Center in late spring or early summer 2007, an official at the Baikonur Space Center told Interfax-AVN on Friday.
He pointed out that given the crash of the Zenit-2SL launch vehicle, launched from the Sea Launch platform in late January, and conclusions, drawn by the interstate investigation commission, Baikonus had undertaken a number of measures, aimed at increasing reliability of the Zenit-2M.
"Certain inspections will be conducted directly at the space center. Part of the equipment will have to be dismantled and sent to Russian and Ukrainian space industry facilities to undergo factory tests," he said.
"Given the great number of tests and checks, experts believe that the Zenit-2M launch vehicle, carrying the Kosmos satellite, will only be able to be launched in late spring - early summer 2007," he said.
The Zenit-2M was to have been launched in early March. The launch was to have become the first qualification launch of the new Zenit-2M vehicle under the Ground Launch program. The program envisions launching vehicles, similar to those launched under the Sea Launch program, from Baikonur.
Baikonur is to see three commercial launches of the Zenit-2M vehicle, carrying the PanamSat 11, the Horizn 2, and the AMOS-3 telecommunications satellites, by the turn of the year. In 2008 it will host two launches of the AsiaSat 5 and the AMS-21 satellites.
As was reported, on January 30 the Zenit-3SL failed to loft the Dutch NewSKies NSS-8 telecommunications satellite. The launch vehicle plunged into the Pacific Ocean during the first minute of the launch. The launch platform had 550 tonnes of fuel onboard at the moment of the launch. It was the 24th sea launch and the second failed one.
The Zenit-3SL crash was caused by a failure of the RD 171 booster, which caught fire when the engine pump sucked in a metal part.