In order to implement the Sea Launch project, an international joint venture Sea Launch was established. The founding companies included Boeing Commercial Space Company of US (40% of the authorized capital), S.P.Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia of Russia (25%), Kvaerner Maritime a.s. of Norway (20%) and aerospace companies from Ukraine: Production Association Yuzhmashzavod, M.K.Yangel Design Bureau Yuzhnoye (15%). The role of the Sea Launch Company within the project is to provide development and operation management and funding.

Boeing Commercial Space Company (40% of the authorized capital) is a subsidiary of Boeing company headquartered at Seattle, Washington, USA.

Boeing company is the largest aerospace company in the United States. It has to its credit aircraft and space technology ranging from the first US rockets and satellites and landing on the Moon to the Space Shuttle flights and work on the International Space Station (ISS). Major areas of Boeing's commercial activity are aircraft construction, military and space technology, and information systems management.

Its role within the project is the prime integrator of the entire project, and it is also responsible for development and operation of the payload unit, management and construction of the coastal complex at the Home Port (Long Beach, USA), as well as conducting marketing and working with customers.

 S.P.Korolev RSC Energia joint-stock company, Korolev, Moscow region,  Russia (25% of authorized capital) is a leading company in Russia in the  development and operation of rocket and space technology. Prime Russian  organization for construction of ISS.

S.P.Korolev RSC Energia has previous experience in developing sea-based rockets. The first launch at sea of a missile R-11FM, which was developed at this company, was carried out on September 16, 1955 in White Sea from a B-67 submarine floating on the surface.

Its role in the project is the prime integrator of the rocket segment, the development of which involved more than 30 Russian companies, as well as Ukrainian companies. The corporation developed and mass-produces upper stage Block DM-SL, provided support for the development of automatic systems controlling pre-launch processing and launch, a system for controlling the flight of the upper stage, the measuring complex, systems for filling the upper stage with high-boiling propellant components and gases, the upper stage testing and mechanical ground support equipment, and is also responsible for their operation.

 

Kvaerner stock company, Oslo, Norway (20% of authorized capital) is the largest shipbuilding company in Europe.

It develops new shipbuilding technologies and off-shore oil drilling rigs. Its branch, Kvaerner Maritime a.s., was responsible within the project for the development of the maritime segment: modification of an off-shore oil drilling rig into the launch platform, and building of the assembly and command ship, while its other branch, Barber Kvaerner company, is responsible for their operation.

Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, Yuzhmashzavod Production Association, Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine (10% and 5% of authorized capital, respectively) are the key aerospace organizations of Ukraine.

They developed highly efficient ballistic launch vehicles Tsiklon and Zenit, as well as spacecraft for various applications. They produce launch vehicles, satellites, communications and telecommunications equipment. It was here that the high-performance strategic missiles of the SS-18 and SS-24 type were developed.

Within the framework of the Sea Launch project they developed and manufacture the first two stages for the integrated launch vehicle Zenit-3SL, which constitute the environmentally clean Zenit-2S launch vehicle.