MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax-AVN) - The Energomash research and production association will start the delivery of engines for the flight tests of the Angara launch vehicle at the beginning of 2010, Deputy General Designer of Energomash Igor Fatuyev said.
"Starting with January 2010 we should deliver six engines for the flight tests of Angara launch vehicle," he told the press on Friday.
Nine engines for the Angara developed at orders from the Defense Ministry have operated for more than 22,000 seconds in 102 bench trials, he said. The operation time per engine is very high compared to previous engines developed at Energomash which confirms their good performance and most importantly their reliability, he said.
The safety features of components of the RD-191 engine will be further improved, the loads on key elements reduced and production expenses cut, Fatuyev said.
The next stage of engine tests for the new launch vehicle will begin in summer, he said.
The family of Angara launch vehicles developed at the Khrunichev space center consists of four rockets: from a light class with payloads of 1.7 to 3.7 tonnes in low orbits to heavy with payloads of up to 2.5 tonnes. Angara will permit the launch of heavy satellites from Russia's Plesetsk cosmodrome in Arkhangelsk region.