Russian, US companies seal a deal on rocket engines supply

Russian manufacturer NPO Energomash on Friday signed a deal worth 1 billion U.S. dollars to supply engines for the Antares rockets to U.S. space technology manufacturer Orbital Sciences, according to a statement on Energomash's website.

Under the contract, the Russian producer will supply 60 RD-181 engines that are specifically designed for the Antares rockets, the statement said. The delivery will start from June of 2015.

The deal also includes provision of services such as flight training, installation and engine tests, it added.

RD-181 with the thrust of 186 tons is a modification of the RD- 191 engine used in the Russian Angara rockets.

Meanwhile, the two companies are also discussing to increase the supply of RD-180 engines to 54 from 24, Energomash president Vladimir Solntsev told Russia's TV channel Rossiya 24.

The current contract envisages supplies of 24 RD-180 engines up to 2018, which would "definitely be fulfilled", Solntsev said.

Energomash is determined to continue cooperation with its American partners in areas like deep space exploration, Solntsev said.

NPO Energomash is the leading Russian developer of liquid propellant rocket engines, which is currently incorporated into the United Rocket and Space Corporation as a way to consolidate Russia's developers and manufacturers of spacecraft.

Orbital Sciences, one of NASA's supply providers to the International Space Station, chose Russia's RD-181 engines as a replacement for the AJ-26 engine, following an engine failure and subsequent explosion during a rocket launch in October of last year.

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