Russia is preparing to supply the US with a batch of RD-180 engines
On June 19, 2019 JSC “Scientific Production Association Energomash named after academician V.P. Glushko” (JSC NPO Energomash, part of the state corporation Roscosmos) announced that it was preparing to send another batch of RD-180 engines (3 units) to the USA ) for American Atlas launch vehicles. This is stated on the official website of NPO Energomash JSC.
It is specified that the acceptance commission for the customer's acceptance of the next batch of RD-180 engines manufactured by NPO Energomash has successfully completed its work. This is the first acceptance in 2019. For two weeks, representatives of Pratt & Whitney, the United Launch Alliance (ULA) consortium, the American-Russian joint venture RD AMROSS (RD AMROSS) carried out an external inspection of engines, spare parts, checked the accompanying documentation, and then signed forms for three commercial engines. Currently, the aforementioned RD-180 liquid-propellant rocket engines are already being prepared for dispatch.
By the way, to date, 85 flights of the American Atlas-3 and Atlas-5 LVs on RD-180 engines have already been completed. Moreover, the first RD-180 was delivered to the United States in January 1999. A total of 113 of these engines were shipped to the United States. It should be recalled that in April 2019, the head of the American ULA consortium, Tori Bruno, said:
However, then he found it difficult to answer the question whether the ULA consortium will buy the RD-180 after 2022, because the US Congress ordered to stop these purchases.
- said Bruno then.
The ULA Consortium is a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which uses the RD-180 to launch US satellites. Then the head of the AMROSS EP, former NASA astronaut Michael Baker, said that the United States would purchase the RD-180 until at least 2023-2024.
In addition, JSC NPO Energomash produces liquid-propellant rocket engines RD-191 for the Russian LV Angara and RD-181 for the American LV Antares. At the same time, he was developing the RD-171MV engine for the Russian Soyuz-5 carrier rocket (Irtysh).
It is specified that the acceptance commission for the customer's acceptance of the next batch of RD-180 engines manufactured by NPO Energomash has successfully completed its work. This is the first acceptance in 2019. For two weeks, representatives of Pratt & Whitney, the United Launch Alliance (ULA) consortium, the American-Russian joint venture RD AMROSS (RD AMROSS) carried out an external inspection of engines, spare parts, checked the accompanying documentation, and then signed forms for three commercial engines. Currently, the aforementioned RD-180 liquid-propellant rocket engines are already being prepared for dispatch.
By the way, to date, 85 flights of the American Atlas-3 and Atlas-5 LVs on RD-180 engines have already been completed. Moreover, the first RD-180 was delivered to the United States in January 1999. A total of 113 of these engines were shipped to the United States. It should be recalled that in April 2019, the head of the American ULA consortium, Tori Bruno, said:
They (Energomash) work very well and are very responsive. The quality is maintained at a high level, and we had no issues with deliveries from them. They supply before our needs and still owe me a few (engines).
However, then he found it difficult to answer the question whether the ULA consortium will buy the RD-180 after 2022, because the US Congress ordered to stop these purchases.
I don’t know yet ... We can (purchase) a certain amount to ensure national security. It was 18 pieces. At the same time, we were given a deadline that any missions should be ordered by the authorities until 2022, and they can fly anytime ... And there are no restrictions on the use of the RD-180 for commercial tasks or civilian tasks in space
- said Bruno then.
The ULA Consortium is a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which uses the RD-180 to launch US satellites. Then the head of the AMROSS EP, former NASA astronaut Michael Baker, said that the United States would purchase the RD-180 until at least 2023-2024.
In addition, JSC NPO Energomash produces liquid-propellant rocket engines RD-191 for the Russian LV Angara and RD-181 for the American LV Antares. At the same time, he was developing the RD-171MV engine for the Russian Soyuz-5 carrier rocket (Irtysh).
Information