Russian RD-180 Embargo Could Boost American Rocket Industry 179
MarkWhittington (1084047) writes According to a Saturday story in the Los Angeles Times, the recent revival of tensions between the United States and Russia, not seen since the end of the Cold War, may provide a shot in the arm for the American rocket engine industry. Due in part in retaliation for economic sanctions that were enacted in response to Russian aggression in the Ukraine, Russia announced that it would no longer sell its own RD-180 rocket engines for American military launches. This has had American aerospace experts scrambling to find a replacement. The stakes for weaning American rockets off of dependency on Russian engines could not be starker, according to Space News. If the United States actually loses the RD-180, the Atlas V would be temporarily grounded, as many as 31 missions could be delayed, costing the United States as much as $5 billion. However SpaceX, whose Falcon family of launch vehicles has a made in the USA rocket engine, could benefit tremendously if the U.S. military switches its business from ULA while it refurbishes its own launch vehicles with new American made engines.
Re:thankX (Score:3, Funny)
The US should know better than to rely on that KGB goon for anything, particularly military hardware.
He'll cut off gas to countries - you think he won't cut off rockets?
It's simply bad business to rely on a supplier who is going to jerk you around like that, and worse defense policy to rely on an unstable enemy.
Re:Hooray for the private sector, I guess (Score:4, Funny)
Ha ha. How ribald! Your mockery of America is quite original and unexpected. Why, you must be quite the intelligent fellow with such novel wit.
Re:Hooray for the private sector, I guess (Score:4, Funny)