International cooperation

The international cooperation in the field of defensive engineering, and in particular, space-rocket engineering, was in 50-80-th years of the last century a prerogative of the top management of country and special organizations and was practically excluded at conditions of political opposition of USSR and West. However, it is necessary to note, that else in 1930-th within the area of activity of an aircraft factory in Khimky there was license manufacture of American airplane Douglas for what many experts from Khimky have visited USA, but it was development of American experience, instead of high-grade cooperation. It is possible to note also participation of group of experts of enterprise (jointly with experts of OKB-1 and of some other enterprises) in rendering the technological help to China in 1950-th in manufacture of R-2 rocket with RD-101 engine. Certainly, it is impossible to relate these activities to area of foreign trade activity of enterprise, as well as conducted in 1970-1980-th activity on export of «Chook and Gek» snow-sledges in some countries of Europe and America.

Search of essentially new approaches to development of business, search of new markets for production of enterprise has begun at the beginning of 1990-th.

It was possible to organize visits of representatives of aerospace firms of France, USA, Sweden, Italy, Germany, Japan, England and other countries to our enterprise, to visit some foreign aerospace enterprises and organizations. At discussion of possible prospects of cooperation with such leading firms of USA as General Dynamics, Rocketdyne, Aerojet, Pratt&Whitney high estimations of achievements of NPO Energomash in the field of creation of liquid rocket engines have been received. Under estimations of the American experts development of RD-170 engine has outstripped similar development in USA for 8-10 years. In this connection counter interest to production of NPO Energomash of some foreign firms, first of all USA and France, was clear also.

At this time the first particular steps for exit on foreign markets have been made. At 1990-1992 some contracts with US companies have been signed. In the Europe contracts with French firm SEP have been signed. Though the total sum of all signed contracts did not exceed several millions dollars, these contracts were very important for enterprise as confirmation of possibility and necessity of exit on the foreign markets. Unfortunately, the signed contracts were limited familiarizaiton with technological capabilities and demonstration tests. For extend of contacts their approval at a level of the governments was necessary.

In international activity of NPO Energomash it is necessary to consider 1992 as the key moment, when «Agreement on joint marketing and technologies licensing» with Pratt&Whitney company of United Technologies Corporation has been signed on October, 26th. NPO Energomash appointed United Technologies Corporation as exclusive representative on marketing concerning manufacture, uses or sales of propulsion systems and licensed technologies in USA.

According to signed agreement NPO Energomash and Pratt&Whitney carried out energetic and successful marketing activity. In January, 1994 in the published report of NASA headquarters «Access to space» for the first time possibility of use of engines of NPO Energomash development as main sustainers of American space launch-vehicles has been officially mentioned. Such engine could become RD-180 engine, dual-chamber derivative of RD-170/171 engine used in first stages of "Zenit" and "Energia" LV.

Besides within the frames of one of contracts three hot tests of RD-120 rocket engine of NPO Energomash development have been successfully conducted on October, 11-25th, 1995 in West-Palm-Beach, Florida on fire bench of Pratt&Whitney company. In short terms in USA the large complex of activities on preparation of American test base for hot tests of Russian LPRE has been executed. The success of this program has served as the powerful proof of real practicability of fruitful cooperation of Russian and American experts.

In the same 1995 Lockheed Martin has announced competition on engine for the new Atlas IIAR launch-vehicle. Two American firms – Pratt&Whitney and Rocketdyne competed for the right to represent new RD-180 engine of NPO Energomash development for «Atlas IIAR» LV at the first phase of work. In August, 1995 the selection in favour of Pratt&Whitney has been made. Directly in competition besides the RD-180 engine project participated NK-33 engine of Russian enterprise "Trud" named after N.D.Kuznetsov from Samara and version of MA-5 engine of Rocketdyne. On January, 12th, 1996 in Denver, Colorado, Lockheed Martin has announced a selection of RD-180 liquid rocket engine as main engine of first stage of «Atlas IIAR» launch-vehicle.

In very short terms in NPO Energomash great volume of activities on engine development, including hot tests at stand of NPO Energomash, has been conducted. In 1998 four successful demonstration hot tests of RD-180 #4А engine have been conducted in USA. New RD-180 rocket engine has been certificated for use in «Atlas III» LV in March, 1999.

Great activity has been done by staff of foreign trade activities department for obtaining the government support of Russian-American project on development and sale of RD-180 engine. The large help in this was rendered by Ministry of Defence of Russian Federation and Russian space agency. At close interaction with these organizations in 1997 decree of President of Russian Federation has been prepared and signed, resolving NPO Energomash sale of RD-180 engine in American market and organization of parallel manufacture of this engine in USA within the frames of American-Russian joint venture.

On January, 27th, 1997 NPO Energomash and Pratt&Whitney have signed Contract about creation of RD AMPOSS LLC. Joint venture has been created for marketing, realization and organization of industrial base in USA for parallel production of RD-180 engines and their modifications.

On May, 16th, 1997 the five-sided Agreement on use of RD-180 engines of NPO Energomash manufacture and on support of RD-180 parallel manufacture in USA has been signed, in which Russian space agency, NPO Energomash, Lockheed Martin, RD AMROSS and Pratt&Whitney mutual obligations in case Lockheed Martin Astronautics will win at final phase of EELV competition, have stipulated. In this document Lockheed Martin guaranteed purchase of 101 RD-180 engines.

Feature of the Russian-American project, in which participates NPO Energomash, consists that head contractor - American company Lockheed Martin has practically simultaneously developed two new launch-vehicles, one of which («Atlas III») intended first of all for launch into an orbit of commercial payloads, and another («Atlas V») was developed under EELV (evolved expandable launch-vehicles) program and should become the basis of the whole family of launch-vehicles of medium and heavy class used in space launches in interests as US government, and commercial customers.

Now RD-180 engine is certificated and for use in «Atlas V» LV (EELV) as medium and heavy class.

On March, 28th, 1997 the contract on delivery of RD-180 rocket engines in USA between NPO Energomash and RD AMROSS, LLC has been signed.

First serial production RD-180 engine has been delivered in USA on January, 2nd, 1999. On end of March, 2011 53 serial production engines are delivered already in USA. It is conducted six launches of «Atlas III» LV with RD-180 engines (first - on May, 24th, 2000) and twenty four launches of «Atlas V» LV with RD-180 engines (first - on August, 21st, 2001). All launches have taken place without rebukes to operation of engines.

Among the main flights which have been executed under NASA order - launches of orbital vehicle for research of lunar surface and vehicle for research of lunar craters (LRO/LCROSS), space vehicle for research of surface of Mars, space vehicle for reconnaissance of Pluto and his satellite Kharon under program «Flight to Pluto - New horizons», «Solar dynamics observatory» for obtaining qualitatively new scientific data on research of Sun. In 2011 launches of space vehicle «Juno» to Jupiter and «Martian scientific laboratory» are planned for «Atlas 5» LV.

All basic inventions used by development and manufacture of RD-180 engine are protected by international patents. 20 patents of USA and 13 patents of European patent department are received.

NPO Energomash participates also in realization of «Sea Launch» international program, based on use «Zenit 3SL» LV with the purpose of rendering of services on launch of satellites of various purpose on earth orbit. Thus launch of the launch-vehicle implements from equator of Earth from a space-rocket complex of sea basing. The given circumstance allows at the same thrust of engine to increase considerably payloads mass launching into space. Now activities are conducted in two basic directions: delivery of RD-171M engines for I stages of «Zenit 3SL» LV and author's supervision of designed by NPO Energomash RD-120 engines which now are made in State enterprise «YUZHMASH» (Ukraine) for II stage of this launch-vehicle.

Activities under «Sea Launch» program have begun in 1996-1997. First three RD-171 engines for this program have been sent to Ukraine on April, 28th, 1997. Since 2004 delivery of modified RD-171M engines has begun. Besides activities on modernization of RD-120 engine for increase of its power characteristics are executed. This improved engine is successfully operated in structure of «Zenit 3SL» LV since summer 2003. First successful launch of «Zenit 3SL» has been executed on March, 27th, 1999.

Now after realization of restructuring of “Sea Launch” company it is planned to renew launches in 3 quarter of 2011.

Activities under «Land Launch» program are conducted, in which "Zenit" LV is used for launches from start complex on Baikonur space port. The first launch of "Zenit" LV under «Land Launch» program made in 2007.

As it has been mentioned above, other foreign partner of NPO Energomash is France. Cooperation with French firm SEP has begun in November, 1991 and was conducted in directions of development, designing, test and manufacturing of elements of the engine, such as valves, detachable connections and static and dynamic seals, pipelines of hot gas and bellows of liquid oxygen. Besides activities on graduation of the SEP’ flowmeters that was result of a high estimation of quality of test facility activity of enterprise, were conducted. Except for listed above other contracts, in particular, on studying possibility of use of NPO Energomash development engine on I stages of French launch-vehicle, and also a capability of reusable operation of this engine have been executed also. By results of activities on valves of new designs special agreements on patenting have been signed with SEP. During their fulfilment patents for a design of valves and a design of flange connections with the static spherical hinge, developed NPO Energomash, have been received.

The contract with firm Astrium (Germany) on realization of joint researches in the field of development of liquid oxygen-kerosene engines of high thrust and an estimation of a feasibility of existing engines of NPO Energomash for reusable boosters was executed also.

Contract activities with French firm Snecma Motors (former SEP) on joint development of the concept of a reusable propulsion system on propellant components: liquid oxygen and methane have been conducted. This contract was executed within the frames of the memorandum signed on March, 30th, 2002 on development of "Volga" engine on oxygen - methane (together with M.Keldysh's RC, CADB) with group of the West-European aerospace organizations (Snecma, Astrium, Volvo Aero, Techspace Aero).

Since 2004 activities of Russian enterprises, including NPO Energomash, with Korean institute of aerospace researches (South Korea) on creation of Korean space system of launch were conducted. Under of program of cooperation the ground infrastructure and first stage of KSLV-1 launch-vehicle has been created. NPO Energomash is developed and has provided manufacturing, certification and delivery of engines of the first stage.

The international cooperation at the present phase of activity of Joint Stock Company «NPO Energomash named after academician V.P.Glushko» is the important and significant element of activity of enterprise.

Organization of system of the export control at NPO Energomash

The intra-company program of export control operates in JSC «NPO Energomash».

For the company receiving incomes of the external economic operations with the controllable goods and technologies, creation of intra-company programs of the export control is acknowledgement of the accumulated positive experience of practical work under the international space programs.

In November 2010 JSC «NPO Energomash» has received, according to Federal act «About the export control», the state accreditation of the organization created the intra-company program of the export control. It is confirmed by the Certificate of Federal service on the technical and export control #014 of November 2, 2010 for the period of 3 years.

The given certificate allows to simplify in some cases the order of customs registration of the goods, information, services and operatively, satisfying a condition of contracts, to make under guarantee obligations export of hardware of RD-171M, RD-180 rocket engines.