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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

Zenith Readies for Another Launch

24 November, 1998 - 00:00


The Ukrainian-built Zenith launch vehicle with its payload of twelve
American Global Star satellites failed in September due to mistakes in
calculation made by the Moscow Scientific Production Center for Automation
and Instrument Making.

This enterprise had worked out a false algorithm for the rocket's computer,
the official report of the joint Ukrainian Russian commission, which investigated
the causes of the unsuccessful launch, has confirmed

At that time, hot on the trail, incredible facts came to light: two
out of three computer control channels malfunctioned. However, the commission's
report states that the algorithm's defect prevented the computer from distinguishing
between a system failure and control channel malfunction. The command to
liquidate the rocket was issued based on a system failure.

The launch of the Ocean-O Ukrainian Russian satellite is scheduled for
late December. The satellite will be taken to the orbit by a Zenith-2 launch
vehicle, assembled at the Pivdenmash plant in Dnipropetrovsk. The holiday
season launch will above all put Russia to the test. It should prove that
experts from the Moscow Scientific Production Center for Automation and
Instrument Making have corrected their mistakes, and there will be no more
unpleasant surprises during either Global Star or during the unique Sea
Launch program, which foresees sea launches from a floating launching pad
using the modernized Zenith. The profit from participation in these projects
is not the only saving straw for Ukrainian space branch.

However, pragmatic foreign customers, who do not want to take risk with
other satellites, will accept Zenith only after two successful launches.
After Ocean, Zenith should also successfully put in orbit a copy of an
American satellite. This launch will take place next year from the sea
launch site.

 

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