In the USA, they told when they plan to abandon the RD-180

2

Julie Arnold, a spokesperson for the United Launch Alliance, spoke about the possible timing of the American company's refusal to operate the RD-180 engines. In her opinion, the need for Russian power plants may “disappear” already in the mid-20s. The agency reported about it yesterday RIA News with reference to the statement of the functionary.

First of all, Arnold connects the abandonment of the RD-180 with the terms of decommissioning the Atlas-5 missiles, where the Russian unit is used in the first stage. At the same time, she admits that the announced period may be adjusted depending on the degree of demand for media.



Recall that the two-component (kerosene / oxygen) liquid-propellant rocket engine RD-90, developed in the mid-180s, has been installed by the Americans on Atlas missiles since 1997. Until this summer, the United States tried unsuccessfully to create its own analogue of the Russian power plant.

In July 2020, Blue Origin provided United Launch Alliance with the first BE-4 rocket engine (pictured) to replace the RD-180. The unit produces a thrust of 2447 kN and runs on methane / liquid oxygen fuel pair.

As for the Atlas-5 missiles, they should be replaced by the Vulcan heavy carrier, which the United Launch Alliance has been developing since 2014.
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  1. monman
    monman
    -2
    1 October 2020 15: 22
    Until this summer, the United States tried unsuccessfully to create its own analogue of the Russian power plant.

    The editors, well, why lie like that! In the USA they are trying to create (and have created!) NOT an analogue of the “Russian power plant”, but a completely new engine - another_fuel / another_principle!
    Respect yourself and us, readers - in the days of the Internet we see and read info in real time! Although I'm wrong: there is not a word about the fact that an air leak on the ISS was found on the Russian module ...
    1. isofat
      isofat
      +1
      1 October 2020 15: 53
      Julie Arnold, spokesman for the United Launch Alliance, spoke about the possible timing of the American company's refusal to operate the RD-180 engines.

      monman, United Launch Alliance only promises to abandon the use of Russian engines, so far they cannot even specify the exact dates. That's when they refuse then and you will praise your engines.

      PS... Does it seem to me or not that the United States has a new goal - to catch up and overtake Ukraine? smile