The Russian government has given all the necessary permits to the Roscosmos enterprise for the implementation of the contract for the supply of RD-181 rocket engines to the United States.
Permits were obtained by the Khimki NPO Energomash and the United Rocket and Space Corporation (URSC). The engines are to be supplied to Orbiatal Sciences.
“The contract provides for restrictions on the use of RD-181 in military programs – rockets with our engine cannot be used to launch military spacecraft,” Izvestia quotes the words of Vladimir Solntsev, president of the Energia rocket and space corporation.
As specified, the amount of the contract should be about $ 1 billion for 60 engines. Solntseva explained that this amount includes not only the cost of the engine, but a whole range of services: “flight training, installation of the engine on the rocket, testing.”
Solntsev believes that the contract is focused on cooperation for 15-25 years, “since no one will regularly change the engines on the rocket.”
