Zhukovsky (Moscow region). July 20. INTERFAX-Russia and the United States have made great progress in negotiations on the supply of Russian RD-181M rocket engines to Washington, the head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, told Interfax.
"It is unlikely that we are applying to the Russian government for permission to export supplies, having no hope and prospects to enter into a contract," Rogozin said at the MAKS - 2021 air show.
"Russian engines are still in demand in the United States," the head of the state corporation said.
He noted that the Russian Federation offers its American partners modern, reliable equipment.
The US government has approved the conclusion of a contract between NPO Energomash (part of the state corporation Roscosmos) and the American company Orbital Sciences LLS, the head of the press service of Roscosmos, Vladimir Ustimenko, said earlier. "This means that there will be new deliveries of engines and new launches of American missiles with Russian hearts," Ustimenko said in Telegram.
On July 19, the state corporation reported that the new RD-181M engine is an upgraded version of the RD-181. They noted that the negotiations between the Russian Federation and the United States on the conclusion of a contract will allow, despite the existing sanctions, to continue mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in the field of rocket engine construction.
On Friday, the official Internet portal of legal information published a government order approving negotiations between NPO Energomash and the American company Orbital Sciences LLS on the conclusion of a contract for the use of the RD-181M liquid rocket engine in the Antares launch vehicle.
According to the document, the conclusion of the contract is possible in the event of a settlement between Roscosmos and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation of issues related to the use of the results of intellectual activity in the development of the engine, the development of measures agreed with the American company to protect Russian technologies, as well as receiving guarantees from the American side that Antares launch vehicles with engines will not be used to launch military payloads.
In December last year, it was reported that Energomash plans to transfer at least ten RD-180/RD-181 rocket engines to the United States in 2021.
As Maxim Ovchinnikov, the first deputy director of Roscosmos for Economics and Finance, said in an interview with Interfax, the supply of engines to the United States brings about a third of Energomash's revenue - about 10-12 billion rubles a year.
The RD-180 engines are used by the United Launch Alliance in the Atlas-5 launch vehicle. Another American company, Orbital ATK, is supplied with RD-181 engines. They are used in Antares rockets, with the help of which Cygnus cargo ships are sent to the International Space Station.
