[07/23/08 – Satellite Today] Sea Launch’s new gas deflector has arrived at the company’s port in Long Beach, Calif., the company announced Aug. 23.
The one-of-a-kind gas deflector, lost during a January launch failure, directs engine exhaust away from the platform and controls the acoustic environment. The Design Bureau for Transport Machinery in Moscow managed construction of the replacement structure at the Baltisky shipyard in St. Petersburg, Russia, where the original deflector was built 10 years ago. The Design Bureau is the prime contractor for Sea Launch’s ground support segment.

The Sea Launch vessels returned to port earlier this month after a six-week stay at the Victoria Shipyard in British Columbia, where heavy industrial repairs and painting on the launch platform were completed. Final repairs and re-certification of various systems and associated launch support equipment are underway.
Sea Launch is scheduled to return to flight with an Oct. 3 mission to place the Thuraya 3 satellite in orbit.