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Talks on Russian RD-180 rocket engine deliveries to US may restart after Starliner’s tests

As TASS reported earlier, Russia’s Energomash Research and Production Association handed over on April 14 the last six RD-180 engines to representatives of Pratt & Whitney, United Launch Alliance and RD Amross under the existing contract

SAMARA, April 23. /TASS/. Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos expects talks with American customers on further deliveries of Russian RD-180 rocket engines to restart after the test flights of the US Starliner spacecraft, Roscosmos Head Dmitry Rogozin said on Friday.

"Let us wait for the tests of Boeing’s Starliner spaceship. They are scheduled to perform another test flight in September. They launch it atop an Atlas rocket. The main propulsion system for the Atlas 5 first stage is our RD-180 engine. If their tests are a success, we expect the negotiations on further deliveries to resume," Rogozin said.

As TASS reported earlier, Russia’s Energomash Research and Production Association handed over on April 14 the last six RD-180 engines to representatives of Pratt & Whitney, United Launch Alliance and RD Amross under the existing contract.

The RD-180 liquid propellant rocket engine developed and manufactured by Energomash is intended for use in the US Atlas family of launch vehicles. Overall, Energomash has delivered 122 RD-180 rocket engines to the United States over more than 20 years of cooperation.

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