Zenit rocket on display in front of Hermann-Oberth-Museum, Feucht, Germany

Zenit-C was a sounding rocket developed from Oerlikon Contraves (today Rheinmetall Air Defence in Switzerland. The Zenit was a single-step rocket with a length of 5.6 meters, a diameter of 0.42 meter and a takeoff weight of 610 kilograms. Propelled by a solid-propellant engine which supplied a thrust between 45 kN at launch and 22 kN in flight, the Zenit could carry a payload of 25 kilograms to a height of 210 km or a payload of 130 kilograms to a height of 115 km. At its maiden flight on October 27, 1967, at Salto di Quirra the Zenit topped 145 km. The Zenit was later launched only twice once on July 30, 1971, at Salto di Quirra with a British Cuckoo rocket as a starting stage and once on December 13, 1973, at Andøya likewise with a "Cuckoo" starting stage. Oerlikon used the knowledge from the Ground to Air Missile RSE Kriens for the Zenit.


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