The Zenit rockets

A group of rockets designed in USSR in the design office “Yuzhne” in Dnipropetrovsk. The first one was Zenit-2. Its trials begun in Baikonur Cosmodrome in 1985. A dozen of them were made before the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was assumed that the rocket would be carrying the intelligence satellites into orbit. However, after the collapse of the USSR, Russia stopped further work, but Ukraine continued. Two-stage Zenit-2 can carry 13 to 15 tonnes payload in LEO (Low Earth Orbit). Zenit-3 three-stage rocket, already constructed in Ukraine, was the next generation of the Zenit rockets. Their modification, Zenit-3SL, is in turn intended for launching from the Ocean Odyssey, a floating launch platform, located in the Pacific Ocean. The Zenit-3SLB rocket was built to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.