Tests of the Upgraded RD-171MV Engine for Soyuz-5 Rocket Completed (Image Credit: Payload)
MOSCOW (Roscosmos PR) — NPO Energomash (part of the Roscosmos State Corporation) has successfully completed hot fire tests of the RD-171MV rocket engine designed for the Soyuz-5 launch vehicle.
As part of the test program, the most powerful liquid rocket engine in the world (its thrust is 800 tons) worked for a total of 1,461 seconds in nine firing tests without being removed from the test bench.
All tests have passed regularly and confirmed the characteristics laid down in the design of the engine.
The engine has the final version of the design, tests confirm the compliance of the engine characteristics with the requirements of the technical specifications.
Yuri Borisov, Director General of Roscosmos State Corporation: “The quality and reliability of the products of the flagship of the Russian rocket engine industry has once again been confirmed by successful tests and launches using LRE developed and manufactured by NPO Energomash. The enterprise retains key competencies that have been created over decades – a strong design school, engine development and prototype production, production of powerful reliable engines.”
Igor Arbuzov, Director General of NPO Energomash: “Completed fire tests in different engine operating modes were actually ‘life tests’ of the entire machine, including upgraded units and assemblies, engine control systems and emergency protection. NPO Energomash meets the deadlines for the development and testing of an engine running on an environmentally friendly naphthyl-oxygen fuel pair.”
He explained that now the next engine of this series is being assembled in the workshop of the enterprise.
The RD-171MV engine is an upgraded version of the RD-171M engines used in the Zenit launch vehicle. The new engine is designed for the Soyuz-5 rocket.
Where the most powerful and reliable engines are produced and tested:
In the research and testing complex of NPO Energomash, in the first half of 2022, several series of fire tests of liquid-propellant rocket engines RD-191 and RD-171MV were carried out.
The RD-191 liquid propellant rocket engine was developed and manufactured by NPO Energomash for the Angara rocket.
The RD-171MV, designed for the promising Soyuz-5 medium-class launch vehicle, is an upgraded version of the RD-171M engine and is currently the most powerful liquid-propellant rocket engine in the world.
Since the beginning of 2022, thanks to the engines developed and manufactured by NPO Energomash, 17 successful space launches have been carried out. Five RD-180 engines successfully worked on launches of the American Atlas V rocket, two RD-181 engines ensured the successful launch of the Antares rocket, and one RD-191 worked on the launch of the Angara-1.2 rocket. Another 10 launches of Soyuz rockets were provided by engines of the RD-107/108 family developed by NPO Energomash.
