RD-180

RD-180

RD-180 test firing at the Marshall Space Flight Center Advanced Engine Test Facility, November 4, 1998
Country of origin	Russia
Date	1999–2014
Designer	NPO Energomash
Manufacturer	NPO Energomash
Application	Booster
Predecessor	RD-170
Status	In use
Liquid-fuel engine
Propellant	LOX / RP-1
Cycle	Staged combustion
Configuration
Chamber	2
Nozzle ratio	36.87
Performance
Thrust (vac.)	4.15 MN (930,000 lbf)
Thrust (SL)	3.83 MN (860,000 lbf)
Thrust-to-weight ratio	78.44
Chamber pressure	26.7 MPa (3,870 psi)
Isp (vac.)	338 s (3.31 km/s)
Isp (SL)	311 s (3.05 km/s)
Burn time	270 s
Dimensions
Length	3,560 mm (140 in)
Diameter	3,150 mm (124 in)
Dry weight	5,480 kg (12,080 lb)

The RD-180 (РД-180, Ракетный Двигатель-180, Rocket Engine-180) is a rocket engine designed and built in Russia. It features a dual-combustion chamber, dual-nozzle design and is fueled by a kerosene/LOX mixture. Currently RD-180 engines are used for the first stage of the US Atlas V launch vehicle.

The RD-180 is derived from the RD-170/RD-171 line of rocket engines, which were used in the Soviet Energia launch vehicle, and are still in use in the Russian/Ukrainian Zenit launch vehicles.

The roots of the RD-180 rocket engine extend back into the Soviet Energia launch vehicle project. The RD-170, a four-chamber engine, was developed for use on the strap-on boosters for this vehicle, which ultimately was used to lift the Buran orbiter. This engine was scaled down to a two-chamber version by combining the RD-170's combustion devices with half-size turbomachinery. After successful performance in engine tests on a test stand and high-level agreements between the US government and the Russian government, the engines were imported to the US for use on the Lockheed Martin Atlas III, with first flight in 2000. The engine is also used on the United Launch Alliance Atlas V, the successor to the Atlas III.

The engine has no direct connection to the NK-33, which was developed by a different bureau (Kuznetzov) nearly a decade earlier.