Pratt &Whitney has accelerated preparations for US production of the Russian RD-180 rocket engine powering Lockheed Martin's Atlas V booster as the US Air Force prepares to open the competition for the next batch of 15-20 launches under its Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) programme. Boeing is expected to be reinstated as a competitor, after being disqualified in July for misappropriating Lockheed Martin data during the original EELV contest in 1998.

P&W Space Propulsion has received the last of four data packages on the RD-180 from NPO Energomash, and begun translation and technical evaluation of more than 100,000 documents. In September, the P&W/Energomash partnership RD Amross signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin to accelerate starting the next phase, under which the data will be used to build a pre-burner/stator assembly in the USA.

Boeing argues that its Delta IV is the only EELV competitor with a US-produced engine, the RS-68 developed by its Rocketdyne division. Under its EELV contract, Lockheed Martin can use Russian-built RD-180 engines for EELV launches until December 2008. Although P&W believes this waiver will be extended, the company plans to demonstrate the capability to produce the engine in the USA by the end of 2007.

Following the punitive transfer of seven of Boeing's 19 EELV launches, Lockheed Martin now has 14 to Boeing's 12. Lockheed Martin's first EELV launch is scheduled for 2005, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and it is to modify a pad at Vandenberg AFB, California, for west coast launches of the Atlas V. The Heavy version of the booster, previously on hold, will be available for launches beginning in 2005. The RD-180 liquid-oxygen/kerosene engine has flown successfully on six Atlas III and V missions to date, all carrying commercial payloads.

Source: Flight International