United States in 2021 will receive 10 Russian rocket engines. according to information, posted on the public procurement website, engines RD-180 and RD-181 will go to the USA.
“Energomash” will deliver within 2021 years in the USA six RD-180 engines and four RD-181 engines. NGO, included in Roscosmos, produces RD-180, used on missiles of the Atlas family and the R-181 engines, supplied by another American company – Orbital ATK. They are used on Antares missiles, with the help of which Cygnus cargo ships are sent to the ISS.
To date, Russia has delivered to the USA, beginning with 1999 of the year, 116 RD-180, of which 92 already used. RD-181 comes with 2015 of the year, total delivered 22 pieces, of which 16 already used.
The delivery of engines will take place against the backdrop of new US sanctions, under which fell large enterprises of aviation, space and other industries, including Roscosmos enterprises: Rocket and space center “Progress” (produces rockets “union”) and the head scientific institute of the state corporation TsNIIMash (it includes the Mission Control Center).
Russian journalist and political scientist Vitaly Tretyakov said on this occasion:
USA us – sanctions, we them – rocket motors. This is as a symmetrical response to US sanctions against Roscosmos? Or is it an asymmetric answer?
– he wrote on Twitter.
On the eve of the CEO “Roscosmos” Dmitry Rogozin called US sanctions against Russian enterprises in the rocket and space industry illegal and stupid.
