Roscosmos Looks to Sell RD-191 Rocket Engines to India (Image Credit: Payload)
No longer able to export rocket engines to the United States, Roscomos is looking to India as a new market. RBC reports that the state corporation is exploring the possibility of supplying 10 RD-191 rocket engines manufactured by NPO Energomash to India over a five-year period beginning in 2024.
It’s not clear from the report whether the engines would be purchased by India’s space agency, ISRO, or by one of the private companies developing new launch vehicles. Nor is it clear what launch vehicle the engines would be used in.
The kerosene/liquid oxygen RD-191 engines are used in Russia’s Angara family of rocket boosters. A variant of the engine known as the RD-181 is currently used to power the first stage of Northrop Grumman’s Antares launch vehicle. The Antares first stage is supplied by a Ukrainian company.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February put an end to exports of the RD-181 engines and Ukrainian first stages to the United States. Northrop Grumman is now developing a new Antares first stage that will be powered by engines supplied by Firefly Aerospace.
Russia is no longer exporting RD-180 engines for use in United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Atlas V rocket. ULA is phasing out use of the Atlas V in favor of the new Vulcan Centaur booster, which is scheduled to have its maiden launch next year.
