3 ms·

US private spaceflight companies buy lots of Russian engines. I dont know if it is through Roscosmos.

monocasa 11y ago
If you're talking about RD-180s, they're from NPO Enrgomash. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPO_Energomash https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPO_Energomash
skylan_q 11y ago
I'm told by Americans that Putin is looting everything meanwhile Americans have to buy parts from Russians to get to space.
- mikeyouse 11y ago
  Both can be true..
rebootthesystem 11y ago
I don't know if "lots" is the right word, but ULA pretty much depends on buying RD-180's. If it wasn't for Congress lifting the restrictions they'd be out of the game. If you ask me, if you are a rocket company and don't make your own engines you are not a rocket company. External forces can instantly turn you into an expensive fuel and liquid oxygen tank manufacturing company that can't launch a paperclip into orbit. The smartest thing SpaceX has done, perhaps by accident or genius, was to design and manufacture their own engines. Well, their own everything in their case. ULA charges USD $400 million for a launch and SpaceX under $200 million (I think it's $160). One is a perfect example of what happens when private enterprise and capitalism go to work and the other is representative of anything government touches, funds or insists on keeping alive despite reality. The same mechanism that gives you billion dollar websites and a myriad of programs that do nothing but burn money a N times what a more effective private effort could accomplish. You can launch three SpaceX rockets for the price of one ULA. And now that they are landing them and will start to re-use them the equation might approach a ridiculous case of perhaps 10 launches for every 1 from ULA. If you want to really understand where things are, watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HADsoywAEuU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HADsoywAEuU You really have to grok this before understanding the entire picture. What Russia does doesn't matter any more. Nobody is going to be able to compete with what Musk and his team have created. I am not sure most realize how much of a game-changer this will be.
- mikeyouse 11y ago
  Hilariously, SpaceX lists prices for their launches on their website.. For a 4.85MT payload to geotransfer orbit, they charge $61.2M. http://www.spacex.com/about/capabilities http://www.spacex.com/about/capabilities
marktangotango 11y ago
This is were Bezos blue origin really surprised me, they won the contract to build the rd 180 replacement. Does anyone have any info on this?

If you're talking about RD-180s, they're from NPO Enrgomash. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPO_Energomash https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPO_Energomash

skylan_q 11y ago

I'm told by Americans that Putin is looting everything meanwhile Americans have to buy parts from Russians to get to space.

mikeyouse 11y ago
Both can be true..

rebootthesystem 11y ago

I don't know if "lots" is the right word, but ULA pretty much depends on buying RD-180's. If it wasn't for Congress lifting the restrictions they'd be out of the game. If you ask me, if you are a rocket company and don't make your own engines you are not a rocket company. External forces can instantly turn you into an expensive fuel and liquid oxygen tank manufacturing company that can't launch a paperclip into orbit. The smartest thing SpaceX has done, perhaps by accident or genius, was to design and manufacture their own engines. Well, their own everything in their case. ULA charges USD $400 million for a launch and SpaceX under $200 million (I think it's $160). One is a perfect example of what happens when private enterprise and capitalism go to work and the other is representative of anything government touches, funds or insists on keeping alive despite reality. The same mechanism that gives you billion dollar websites and a myriad of programs that do nothing but burn money a N times what a more effective private effort could accomplish. You can launch three SpaceX rockets for the price of one ULA. And now that they are landing them and will start to re-use them the equation might approach a ridiculous case of perhaps 10 launches for every 1 from ULA. If you want to really understand where things are, watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HADsoywAEuU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HADsoywAEuU You really have to grok this before understanding the entire picture. What Russia does doesn't matter any more. Nobody is going to be able to compete with what Musk and his team have created. I am not sure most realize how much of a game-changer this will be.

mikeyouse 11y ago
Hilariously, SpaceX lists prices for their launches on their website.. For a 4.85MT payload to geotransfer orbit, they charge $61.2M. http://www.spacex.com/about/capabilities http://www.spacex.com/about/capabilities

marktangotango 11y ago

This is were Bezos blue origin really surprised me, they won the contract to build the rd 180 replacement. Does anyone have any info on this?