NASA certifies Russia's RD-180 rocket engines for manned flights
"Yes, as of today, RD-180 is certified by NASA to perform manned flights," Arbuzov said.
He explained that a commission comprised of NASA and US Air Force representatives had conducted an audit of compliance of NPO Energomash's technological processes and management system with US requirements last year.
"They issued a conclusion that our system complies with the requirements for conducting manned missions," Arbuzov said.
According to Energomash's director general, the first flight of an Atlas V carrier rocket with Russia's RD-180 engines, which will carry a Starliner spacecraft and crew on board, should take place in February 2019.
An unmanned launch is scheduled for November 2018.
After US-Russia relations worsened over the Crimean issue in 2014, US lawmakers have forced limits on future RD-180 purchases, passing a law that required the US to phase out the Russian-made engines in favor of domestically produced next-generation rocket propulsion systems.
Source: Sputnik News
