(Newswire.net — August 5, 2015) — Embargo US imposed on Moscow apparently did not prevent a trade that serves US interests. Russia just delivered two RD-181 rocket engines to the US Orbital Sciences Corporation for its Antares rocket under a $1billion contract, Reuters reported.
After hot debates in Congress over US dependency on Russia for national security space launches, US approved the contract, while at the same time halted French ‘Mistral’ helicopter carrier contract, which cost France a $2 billion penalty.
The rocket engines arrived in the US, enabling the continuance of US space program, according to Russian rocket producer Energiya (NPO Energomash).
“On July 16 the first two engines were delivered to the US,” Energiya officials said in a press release on Tuesday, RIA reported.
Energia which has been conducting activities in the rocket-space industry since 1946 did not mention when the next batch of RD-181 will be delivered to its American partners.
The Russian manufacturer signed in January a $1 billion contract with Orbital Sciences Corporation, obligating them to deliver 60 RD-181 engines for the US Antares project.
US space agency expects the engines to be ready for the next Antares flight scheduled in early 2016. Beside delivering newly developed rocket engines for Antares, according to the contract Russia expects its astronauts to train US crew for flight missions.
The contract was signed after serious problems the Antares project experienced with AJ-26 engines when the rocket exploded after liftoff in October of last year, destroying the cargo for astronauts at the space station.
By December, Orbital announced they would use a Russian contractor, who previously powered Atlas-5 rocket with their RD-180 rockets. A new version, RD-181, was created especially for the Antares rocket and is capable of delivering more power to send heavier rockets with more cargo into the space.
The House version of the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act allows all the RD-180 engines needed by United Launch Alliance (ULA) to compete for Air Force launches, but the Senate version allows only nine.
Under last year’s National Defense Authorization Act of 2015, the Department of Defense is prohibited from signing new or modifying existing contracts for launches using engines designed or manufactured in Russia.