Lockheed Martin and Boeing are ready to use RD-180 engines without involving Energomash
The United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture of the American companies Lockheed Martin and Boeing, is ready to use the RD-180 rocket engines remaining in the United States without involving Russian specialists from the Research and Production Association (NPO) Energomash, SpaceNews writes .
According to ULA spokeswoman Jessica Rai, the RD-180 engines of Atlas V heavy rockets purchased from Russia, which remained with the United States, are "securely stored" at the Decatur (Alabama) plant. "We have agreements on technical support and spare parts, but if this support is not available, we will still be able to safely and successfully complete our program," Rai said.
According to ULA Executive Director Tori Bruno, the company he heads has been using RD-180 for many years and does not depend on Energomash for technical support services. According to him, the United States went to buy the RD-180 from Russia because they wanted to avoid the leakage of missile technology to Iran or North Korea after the Cold War.
The publication recalls that ULA plans to switch from an Atlas V rocket to a Vulcan with a BE-4 methane engine instead of a kerosene RD-180, and also that the Pentagon, due to sanctions imposed on Russia after the annexation of Crimea, is allowed to conclude contracts for Atlas V launches only until 2022.
According to SpaceNews, ULA currently has contracts for about 25 Atlas V launches through 2025.
In August 2021, The Verge, referring to Bruno, reported that ULA had stopped selling Atlas V heavy rockets and would no longer purchase Russian RD-180 first-stage engines for them.
In April of the same year, Roscosmos reported that Energomash had transferred the last six RD-180 engines to the American side.
