Igor Arbuzov, General Director of the Research and Production Association (NPO) Energomash [...], spoke about the head of SpaceX, Elon Musk, in an interview with RIA Novosti.
The manager called the American a competitor to whom he treats "with respect".
"In fact, it is a good irritant not only for us, but also for the American market. Under him, a new round of commercial use of reusability began. And the result of a serious breakthrough is obvious, " said the general director of the enterprise that produces RD-180 rocket engines.
Arbuzov added that" there are no special super-innovative solutions " in the SpaceX engines.
The head of the NGO "Energomash" refused to compare the Russian RD-0169 engine and the American Raptor and BE-4. "Time will tell who will create a more perfect design," Arbuzov said.
In December 2020, a publication in The Drive stated that the test of a prototype SpaceX Starship spacecraft could be evidence of a revolution in modern space exploration. Then, during a test flight, the prototype of the Starship spacecraft of the eighth version (SN8) rose to an altitude of 12 kilometers, landed, and then exploded. The product was in the air for 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
Ivan Potapov
