AviationWeek.com/awst AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 15-FEBRUARY 1, 2015 39
BE-4, the propulsion system would
be fueled by liquefied natural gas and
could be ready for a demonstration
flight by 2019.
The pressure to reduce U.S. reliance
on Russian rocket technology is play-
ing to commercial interests in the U.S.
Space Exploration Technologies Corp.
(SpaceX) is using anti-Russian senti-
ment in an attempt to unseat ULA’s
virtual monopoly in U.S. Air Force
launches, asserting its new Falcon 9
rocket is the only politically, techni-
cally and financially sound option for
lifting national security missions.
However, Orbital Sciences Corp., has
announced plans to use a Russian-made
variant of the RD-180 to replace the up-
dated Russian NK-33 engines that cur-
rently power the medium-class Antares
launcher. Orbital argues the so-called
RD-181 is the only viable near-term al-
ternative to the NK-33, which is modi-
fied by Aerojet Rocketdyne and des-
ignated AJ26 for Antares. However,
Orbital says it will purchase the power-
plants directly from NPO Energomash,
rather than through its U.S. subsidiary,
a joint venture with Pratt & Whitney
known as RD Amross.
The company’s procurement plan
could make the RD-181 more palatable
to key lawmakers, notably Arizona Re-
publican Sen. John McCain, who has
criticized ULA and the Air Force for
wasting taxpayer money by purchas-
ing RD-180 engines at a steep markup
through middleman RD Amross.
More broadly, satellite operators
have felt the chilling efect Putin’s an-
nexation of Crimea had on the com-
mercial launch industry in 2014. Earlier
this year, the U.S. government slowed
awards for space-hardware export li-
censes to Russia, although there has
been no specific impact to commercial
launches of Russia’s heavy-lift Proton
rocket, which are managed by Virginia-
based International Launch Services.
In June, however, the Canadian
government—with its large Ukrainian
diaspora—pulled one of its satellites
from launch on a European variant of
the Russian Soyuz rocket. And visas
for Russian engineers and space tech-
nologists seeking to attend the annual
International Astronautical Congress,
which was held in Toronto last fall, were
more difcult to obtain.
In May the Moroccan government
nixed Soyuz as a candidate backup
launcher for the country’s two new
remote-sensing satellites, a move in-
2014: A New Cold War?
Declaration of Intent
In outlining his rationale for annexing Crimea on March 18, 2014, Putin linked the move
to another step in a long Russian history. By doing so, he both helped to bolster Russian
identity and strike out at the U.S. The event marked a return to chilly relations between
Russia and the West that has had signifcant ramifcations for the A&D industry.Fighting in Ukraine
In late February, after the departure of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Russian
troops began massing along the border with Ukraine. Though Russia denied involvement
in subsequent fghting that brought down many Ukrainian military aircraft, the rebels have
confrmed Russian involvement. Unrest there has put Ukraine’s neighbors, Poland and the
Baltic Republics on high alert.MH17
On July 17, a surface-to-air missile (SAM) brought down
Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, killing 298 people. The West
suspects a Russian SAM and responded with increased
economic sanctions.Overflights
In addition to expanding its military modernization program, Russia has stepped up its use
of air patrols, sending fghter and bomber aircraft in all directions, including as far away as
Portugal. The aircraft fy with transponders off, relying on NATO escorts to alert commercial
airlines about the presence of aircraft in crowded European airspace.Rocket Reaction
A frosty political landscape forced the U.S. to confront the fact that
its national security space assets are launched into orbit with Russian
rockets, and although it has a stockpile, replacement remains years away.
Congress is now involved in supporting a U.S.-developed engine by 2019.
Despite ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Russia, cooperation on the
International Space Station remains strong.tended to avoid potential complica-
tions down the road.
In addition, at least one Western sat-
ellite manufacturer has shifted gears
in response to troubled U.S.-Russian
relations. Thales Alenia Space of
France and Italy, which uses some U.S.
components in its commercial com-
munications satellite bus, said it felt
compelled to find a European supplier
for parts on the Yamal-601 satellite it
is building for Russian fleet operator
Gazprom Space Systems, owing to a
recent State Department ban on some
technology exports to Russia.
“There have been some new rulesconcerning U.S. export regulations to-
ward Russia,” Thales Alenia Space CEO
Jean-Loic Galle said in September. “It
was not clear, I have to say, but we pre-
fer to be cautious and anticipate risks.”
Russian actions in Ukraine have
also complicated the return to regu-
lar activity of Sea Launch AG of Swit-
zerland, a majority Russian-owned
company which launches large com-
mercial telecom satellites atop the
Russian-Ukrainian Zenit 3SL rocket
from a platform in international waters
in the Pacific.
In September, Sea Launch CEO
Sergey Gugkaev said tensions betweenREUTERS/LANDOV FILE PHOTOUNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE