Russian Zenit Launch Failure: 'Faulty Ukrainian Parts' Blamed

The Sea Launch consortium, led by Energia, launched the Zenit rocket from its floating platform Odyssey at an equatorial launch site in international waters in the Pacific Ocean. 

The rocket fell into the sea not far from the Odyssey, which was not damaged in the failed launch, a Russian space industry source reported.

The crash of a Russian Zenit-3SL rocket earlier this month was caused by defective components manufactured in Ukraine, Ivan Kharchenko, first deputy head of the Russian government's military-industrial commission, said on Tuesday.

The Zenit-3SL, carrying an Intelsat-27 (IS-27) telecoms satellite, crashed into the Pacific Ocean shortly after launch on February 1, following an emergency shutdown of its first-stage engine.

A report presented by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev concluded that "the accident was caused by defective blocks manufactured in Ukraine," Kharchenko said, adding that "there was nothing wrong with the Russian-made equipment."

Rogozin presented his report to Medvedev on February 15, according to Kharchenko.

Russian space corporation RKK Energia head Vitaly Lopota said at the time of the crash that the malfunction had occurred around 50 seconds into the flight.

The Sea Launch consortium, led by Energia, launched the Zenit rocket from its floating platform Odyssey at an equatorial launch site in international waters in the Pacific Ocean. The rocket fell into the sea not far from the Odyssey, which was not damaged in the failed launch, a Russian space industry source told RIA Novosti.

The Zenit-3SL integrated launch vehicle is a liquid-propellant rocket consisting of three stages and a payload unit. The first stage is powered by the RD-171M engine designed by Russia's NPO Energomash rocket engine design bureau. The RD-171M is one of the most powerful rocket engines in the world, producing 740,000 kilograms of thrust at liftoff.