For the first time, Russian specialists have designed a rocket engine without using paper drawings. In the future, it is intended to be used on the new Irtysh rocket, also known as the Soyuz-5.
According to the chief designer of NPO Energomash, Pyotr Levochkin, Russian engineers for the first time developed a rocket engine completely in digital form, without the use of paper drawings. "We made the RD-171MV engine for the Soyuz-5 rocket completely in digital documentation. Moreover, we agreed with the customer that this 3D documentation will be the original design documentation, " the specialist said.
The RD-171MV liquid-propellant rocket engine is a development of the RD-171M, which in turn is a variant of the Soviet RD-170. The new engine is considered the most powerful liquid rocket engine in the world: for its characteristics, it received the symbol "tsar-engine".
The engine uses kerosene as fuel, and liquid oxygen as an oxidizer. The RD-171MV has four combustion chambers.
It is assumed that the new product will be used on the promising Soyuz-5 launch vehicle, which is being created as a replacement for the Zenit produced in Ukraine.
"Soyuz-5»
Image source: Roscosmos
In addition, earlier RD-171MV can be used on a super-heavy "lunar" launch vehicle "Yenisei» . Note, however, that now its prospects are very vague. It is known that Russia may abandon the rocket in favor of the "Angara": at least at the early stage of the development of the satellite of our planet. Earlier, Russian scientists criticized the Yenisei project for the lack of elaboration of the concept.
Difficulties with the "Yenisei" should not affect the development of a new engine: today, the RD-171MV has already passed a number of tests. The first fire tests of the engine were conducted in December. All his systems worked fine.
It is worth saying that today in the West and in China are actively developing a fundamentally new — methane rocket engines. It is assumed that they will surpass kerosene samples in terms of the sum of qualities, including cost-effectiveness of use.
Recall that last year, the American company Blue Origin supplied United Launch Alliance with the first methane rocket engine BE-4. They want to use it for the promising Vulcan launch vehicle: it should appear in the foreseeable future and replace the Atlas V rocket using the Russian RD-180 engine. In addition, the methane engine (the famous Raptor) is actively being developed by SpaceX.
