4 ms·

Those were the NK-33's used on Antares, until one of them failed and caused the loss in 2014... The RD-180 in question, by contrast, is newly manufactured spec

by CarVac 10y ago

Those were the NK-33's used on Antares, until one of them failed and caused the loss in 2014... The RD-180 in question, by contrast, is newly manufactured specifically for the Atlas rockets.

masklinn 10y ago
RD-180 was not manufactured specifically for Atlas. The US got involved in the development and testing once they'd picked the RD-180 but the engine predates the program, and is a direct descendant of the RD-170 to boot.
dghughes 10y ago
Good to know. Thanks.