Roscosmos announced the delivery to the United States of the last batch of RD-180 engines from among the previously ordered ones. Recall that the Americans use them for the first stage of the Atlas V launch vehicle.
The United States has received the last six Russian RD-180 rocket engines. Before handing them over, Pratt & Whitney, United Launch Alliance and AMROSS RD, together with NASA and the US Air Force, conducted an external inspection of the products. In addition, the specialists checked the spare parts and accessories, as well as the accompanying documents.
In just 20 years of cooperation, NPO Energomash has delivered 122 RD-180 commercial engines to the Americans.
The RD-180 engine on the test stand at the Marshall Space Center (USA)
Image source: wikipedia
The RD-180 liquid rocket engine was developed by NPO Energomash in the mid-90s on the basis of the Soviet RD-170. The engine is designed for the Atlas III (decommissioned) and Atlas V launch vehicles, where it found its use in the first stage. On the second stage of the Atlas V, products of American design are installed.
Bringing Atlas V to the launch pad before launching AEHF-4
Image source: thealphacentauri
In addition to the RD-180, Russia supplies the Americans with the RD-181 for Antares missiles. The company Orbital Sciences Corporation uses the carrier to launch its unmanned Cygnus cargo spacecraft under NASA programs for the delivery of cargo by private companies to the ISS.
Soon, the United States wants to replace the Atlas V with the Vulcan Centaur carrier, which is being developed by the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture owned by Boeing and Lockheed Martin. According to earlier information, the first launch of the rocket can be carried out in 2021: it should launch the lunar landing module Peregrine.
For the first stage of the Vulcan Centaur, the latest BE-4 methane engine from the American company Blue Origin was chosen. Another feature of replacing a promising carrier is the potential reusable use of components.
Russia also wants to rely on reusable missiles in the future. Recently it became known that the promising carrier "Krylo-SV" will be able to use skis for landing. And in January , it was reported that the engines of the promising Russian rocket "Amur-LNG" intend to launch up to 50 times.
The Amur-LNG is a two-stage medium-class rocket using the RD-0169 methane engine. This carrier, according to plans, will be able to replace the Soyuz-2 family of missiles after 2026. The new Vostochny cosmodrome was chosen as the location of the launch table. The rocket must carry more than 12 tons of cargo to a low reference orbit.
According to Alexander Bloshenko, Executive Director of Roscosmos for Advanced Programs and Science, the preliminary design of the carrier will be completed in September.