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Updated March 4th, 2022 at 17:18 IST

'We have all the engines we need': US after Russia decides to halt rocket engine supply

US Air Force secretary Frank Kendall has said Russia’s decision to stop supplying rocket engines would have no impact on the US' ‘national security launches'.

Reported by: Harsh Vardhan
U.S. Air Force
Image: NASA | Image:self
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US Air Force secretary Frank Kendall has said Russia’s decision to stop supplying rocket engines to the US would have no impact on ‘national security launches’. On March 3, Russian space agency Roscosmos' head Dmitry Rogozin had announced that his country would no longer supply the US with its "world’s best rocket engines" and not provide servicing to the already shipped ones. In an interview with Russia 24, Rogozin had even said that the Americans can use 'broomsticks' instead. 

"Roskosmos will not service the remaining 24 RD-180 engines in the US, and the RD-181 will stop deliveries", Roscosmos had written in a tweet. Rogozin's remarks and decisions are in retaliation to the US sanctions imposed on Russia for invading Ukraine

'We have the engines we need': US

The engines Russia has supplied to the US are the RD-180, which are used in United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Atlas 5 rocket for launch missions. Between now and 2025, the ULA is targeting 24 launches and says that it already has the engines needed to carry out the launches. Even before Russia's decision to halt rocket engine shipment, ULA spokesperson Jessica Rye had said in a statement, as per SpaceNews, "As we manage the transition to the Vulcan launch system, all necessary RD-180 engines to execute the Atlas 5 fly-out are safely stored in our factory in Decatur, Alabama". 

Even the CEO of ULA, Tory Bruno has said that his company is fully capable of maintaining and operating the Russian engines, in case RD-180 manufacturer NPO Energomash, which provides ULA with spare parts and technical support, decides to end cooperation. According to SpaceNews, the US Congress had banned the military use of RD-180 engines following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and had ordered the Department of Defense to stop using launch vehicles with Russian engines. Following this decision, only ULA was being awarded contracts for Atlas 5 launches using those engines through 2022. 

However, it is worth noting that Russia cutting supplies of engines would affect Northrop Grumman’s rocket, which uses the RD-181 engines in its Antares rocket. The RD-181 is also on the list of engines not to be shipped to the US and this might affect Grumman's resupply missions to the International Space Station.

(Image: NASA)

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Published March 4th, 2022 at 17:18 IST

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