KHIMKI. (Moscow region). Dec 31 (Interfax-AVN) - In 2003 Russia has completely fulfilled the contract on delivering RD-180 boosters to the U.S., designed to be mounted on the U.S. Atlas carrier rockets, Vladimir Sudakov, head of the Energomash Scientific Industrial Association information department, told Interfax-Military News Agency on Wednesday.
"We have shipped off five RD-180 boosters, designed and manufactured by Energomash, to the U.S. Thus, the association has completely fulfilled the contract on 2003 booster deliveries to the U.S.," he said.
Sudakov said that the RD-180 liquid-fuel boosters had already been delivered to the Denver-based Lockheed Martin plant, assembling Atlas carrier rockets.
He noted that the boosters are flown to the U.S. by AN-124 Condor aircraft in special air-tight containers, designed and developed by Energomash, which are filled with inert gas. Each container is fitted with temperature and impact load sensors. The net weight of the RD-180 totals 5.497 tons, while that of the transportation container is 3.3 tons.
"Rocket boosters are accepted by U.S. experts directly at the Khimki plant. Before being shipped to the U.S. RD-180 booster progress through firing tests on a special bench. After that they undergo a thermal vacuum dehydration and follow-on inspections in the assembly workshop. The container's air-tightness, telemetry, automatics, and the booster's power lines are inspected," Sudakov said.
He reported that the final assembly of the RD-180 is carried out by Energomash. Combustion chambers are delivered from Samara, while special alloys from Chelyabinsk. It takes an average of 16 months to manufacture a single RD-180. RD-180 liquid-fuel boosters are delivered to the U.S. Lockheed Martin under the contract with Pratt & Whitney. A total of 21 RD-180s have already been delivered to the customer.
"At the present time seven Atlas carrier rockets, powered by the RD-180 booster, have been launched successfully," Sudakov said.