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Russian, European Organizations to Collaborate on Reusable Engine
By Natasha Yefimova
Space News Correspondent
posted: 04:30 pm ET
22 March 2002
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MOSCOW Seven Russian and European companies have signed a memorandum of intent to develop a powerful reusable rocket engine propelled by methane and liquid oxygen
MOSCOW Seven Russian and European companies have signed a memorandum of intent to develop a powerful reusable rocket engine propelled by methane and liquid oxygen.
The companies, whose representatives were present at a March 22 signing ceremony in Moscow, are: NPO Energomash; the Chemical Automation Design Bureau; the Keldysh Research Center; Astrium GmbH; Snecma Motors; Volvo Aero Corp.; and Techspace Aero, a division of the Snecma group. The program for developing the Volga engine, which is to have a service life of at least 50 flights, is envisioned in three phases: preliminary research and design, testing on a mock-up and final testing on a complete engine. The projects tentative delivery date is 2015. According to Jean Paul Herteman, president of Snecma Motors, the partners are seeking funding for the first phase estimated at some 20 million euros ($17.6 million) and hope that it will be provided largely by the European Space Agency. Ultimately the development of the Volga could carry a price tag of nearly 1 billion euros. The engines developers believe the reusable Volga, which is meant to power a launch vehicles first stage, will slash the cost of commercial space launches dramatically. The project participants acknowledged that it is difficult to forecast the market, but said they are trying to build a technological basis for the future and believe the engine would give rise to new applications that are difficult to imagine today.
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