Russia plans to sign an agreement with the U.S. on measures to avoid the unsanctioned use of the rocket engine RD-180 and to safeguard this technology in connection with the organization of production of this engine in the U.S.
According to a Russian government directive (No 1114-r from August 11, 2000), the Russian Aerospace Agency and the Russian Foreign Ministry should hold talks with the U.S. corporation United Technologies Corporation to organize safeguards.
As reported earlier, development of the RD-180 rocket engine was begun in 1994 based on the most powerful ecologically clean liquid engine in the world – the RD-170, for use in Energia and Zenith carrier rockets. According to specialists from Energomash, the RD-180, due to its technical characteristics, won an international tender for installa-tion on the U.S. Atlas-3 carrier rocket.
The first launch of an Atlas-3 rocket with a PD-180 engine will take place at the end of May 2000.
The U.S. plans to set up production of the RD-180 engine for its own carriers rocket and already has an order from Pratt & Whitney for 101 of these engines.
Energomash is one of the leading Russian designers of liquid high-powered engines for carrier rockets.
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