According to the corrected schedule, the launching of the rocket carrier was put off until July, Press Secretary of the Pivdenne Design Bureau (Dnipropetrovsk) Yuri Oleksienko told Interfax-Ukrainian.

He made it clear that there are three Zenith rocket carriers at the base port of Sea Launch. Consortium specialists met the stipulated terms to exclude and prevent mistakes in the algorithm of earth automated control system of pre-start preparation of the rocket carrier, which caused an unsuccessful launch on March 12.

Until now, no information is disclosed on the customer of the launch or the satellite itself.

The Sea Launch consortium is formed by Boeing (40%), Rocket Space Complex Energia (25%), Ukrainian Pivdenne Design Bureau and Industrial Association Pivdenmash (15%), and Norvegian Kvaerner (20%). Now, the consortium has got 18 orders for launching satellites into the orbit.

The first demo launch Zenith-3SL with model satellite onboard from the sea cosmodrome was carried out March 27, 1999, the second one - with a space apparatus for direct TV broadcast DirecTV-1IR - on October 10, 1999.

The ICO F-1 Mobile Communication satellite was unsuccessfully launched on March 12 due to a mistake in the control algorithm of earth automated system of pre-start preparation of the rocket carrier.

The Sea Launch schedule envisages four launches from the sea platform in 2000.

Their joint statement signed on the outcome of the Ukrainian-American talks in Kiev Monday says that due to this bold step, US companies and their Ukrainian partners will be able to be drawn to joint projects in the field of commercial space launch services without quantitative restrictions.

The presidents also undertook to strengthen commercial ties between the space companies of the two countries, taking into account Ukraine's progress in restructuring the space industry, her further obligations as regards free market principles of price formation fixed in this agreement, and her resolute commitment to the common goals in the field of non- proliferation.

The heads of state underscored the success of Ukrainian-American cooperation in the field of commercial space launch services, in particular, within the framework of the Sea Launch consortium.

There was an exchange of Notes Concerning Termination of the Agreement Regarding International Trade in Commercial Space Launch Services signed on 21 February 1996.