Northrop faucets rocket startup Firefly to interchange Antares’ Russian engines

Northrop Grumman is partnering with rocket startup Firefly Aerospace to construct a brand new model of its workhorse Antares rocket with out Russian-made engines that have been lower off from the United States after the invasion of Ukraine, the corporate stated on Monday.

The new model of Antares, a rocket which NASA makes use of to ferry cargo to the International Space Station, will use seven Miranda engines beneath growth by Firefly, Northrop stated in an announcement, including that the 2 firms will later work on a wholly new launch car.

Northrop’s partnership with Firefly comes months after Russia halted deliveries of Antares’ unique RD-181 engines in retaliation for sanctions the U.S. levied on Moscow over its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. The supply halt left Northrop with simply two remaining Antares rockets regardless of a number of extra beneath contract with NASA.

The Antares rocket launches Northrop’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the area station. The firm’s remaining launch utilizing Russian engines is slated for early subsequent yr.

A Northrop spokeswoman advised Reuters that the corporate bought three Falcon 9 launches from Elon Musk’s SpaceX to launch Cygnus capsules to the area station whereas Antares 330 is beneath growth. Those Falcon 9 missions will launch in late 2023 and 2024.

Northrop’s assertion didn’t specify the worth of the Firefly partnership or when it expects to launch the brand new Antares 330 rocket.

“Through our collaboration, we will first develop a fully domestic version of our Antares rocket, the Antares 330, for Cygnus space station commercial resupply services, followed by an entirely new medium class launch vehicle,” Scott Lehr, vice chairman of Northrop’s launch and missile protection unit, stated in a press launch.

A pair of RD-181 engines have lengthy powered the Antares rocket. Northrop beforehand stated it was exploring different rockets for Cygnus after Russia’s determination to chop off engine deliveries.