PRATT & WHITNEY has taken delivery of the first Russian RD-120 flight-qualified production engine at its West Palm Beach factory in Florida, in the first stage of a joint programme with NPO Energomash to market a derivative of the Zenit upper-stage rocket engine.
The primary application of the new engine, called the RD-120M, which will be built in Russia and Ukraine, is envisaged as the power plant for the first stage of a small-satellite launch vehicle.
P&W and France's Societe Europeenne de Propulsion, are also collaborating on studies for advanced rocket and space-propulsion systems, in the first phase of a strategic tie-up to develop jointly new systems for US and European customers, reducing research-and-development costs.
Source: Flight International