DULLES, Va. - Orbital Sciences Corp will purchase RD-181 rocket engines from Russian company NPO Energomash. The engines will replace the AJ-26 engines that formerly powered Orbital's Antares launch vehicle. Orbital is replacing the AJ-26 engines following a launch failure in October that was blamed on the AJ-26 engines.
Publication Aviation Week first broke the story on December 16. Orbital Sciences itself confirmed the news a few hours later through its Twitter feed. The company also indicated that the first RD-181 engine will be delivered in 2015, with a flight expected in 2016. That schedule aligns with news reports earlier this month saying a hot fire test of the upgraded Antares would take place in 2015 with operational flights restarting in 2016.
The news is a bit strange considering the political risks associated with the Russian-built engine. The conflict over Ukraine has initiated a series of sanctions between the U.S. and Europe on one side and Russia on the other. While space hardware has not been affected yet, continued conflict could envelope space hardware in the future. Even now Congress is funding a U.S. Air Force effort to replace the Russian-built RD-180 engine on the Atlas V launch vehicle.
Some saw the Orbital Sciences effort to replace the AJ-26, which is also built in Russia, as a chance to also move away from Russian-built hardware. However, Orbital believes that the RD-181 is the only engine capable of providing the capabilities and costs needed within the given timeframe. At this point, the company's goal is to minimize downtime for its Antares launch vehicle.
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