United States to stop using Russian rocket engines
The United States plans to stop using Russian RD-180 rocket engines within five years period, which they have been buying since 1997.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the company Blue Origin, owned by the Amazon’s founder billionaire Jeffrey Bezos, received a contract to supply replacement for Russian power plants. It will supply the new BE-4 engines for the next-generation Vulcan launches vehicles made by the United Launch Alliance (ULA). The company scheduled first launch in 2020.
Americans plan that by 2022-2023, this carrier will replace currently utilized Atlas V missiles, which used the RD-180 engines.
“The new American rocket will leverage our heritage while introducing advanced technologies and innovative features,” - ULA stated on Twitter.
“The United Launch Alliance is the main service provider for launching national security missions, and we are very pleased that we are part of their team and this mission,” the CEO of Blue Origin, Bob Smith told Reuters.
Russian company NPO Energomash manufactures the RD-180s for the Atlas III and Atlas V launch vehicles.
The U.S. signed the first contract for the purchase of 101 engines in 1997. This transaction estimated at approximately $1 billion.
In 2014, due to the aggravation of relations with the Russian Federation, the United States Congress imposed a ban on the use of the RD-180. However, in 2015, they cancelled it as it became clear that the United States would not create their own engines in the coming years.
In 2018, after the next round of sanctions the Russian State Duma suggested stopping engines sales to the United States and suspending the supplies of titanium, which Boeing Corporation buys from VSMPO-Avisma.
In 2016, the United States ordered an additional 18 RD-180 engines from NPO Energomash. Energomash also reported that they signed a contract for the supply of six RD-180 engines to the U.S. by 2020.