Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

Did you realize our Atlas rockets use Russian RD-180 engines?

U.S. Deal Will Not Affect Rocket Contract

The RD-180 engine.
Moscow (UPI) May 9, 2005
A joint venture by two U.S. aerospace giants will not affect a Russian contract to deliver rocket engines, local media reported Monday.

Dmitry Pakhomov, deputy director general of the Russian science and production association Energomash, was reported by the ITAR-TASS news agency as saying a joint venture by Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. will not affect a $1 billion contract to supply RD-180 engines to the United States.

A contract between Energomash and Lockheed Martin calls for the Russian enterprise to deliver 101 RD-180 engines to the United States. Energomash already has delivered 26 engines, ITAR-TASS said.

Officials from the United Launch Alliance - the joint venture - have assured Energomash all contractual obligations to the Russian enterprise remain in force, the agency quoted Pakhomov as saying.

Nine Atlas rockets with RD-180 engines have been launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., ITAR-TASS said.

http://www.spacewar.com/news/launchers-05zt.html