By December, Orbital announced that they decided to use the RD-181 engines because they offered “the best combination of schedule availability, technical performance and cost parameters as compared to other possible options.”
Under the new RD-181 contract Russian crews will also conduct flight training with their American counterparts. The Russians will also be engaged in the installation of the engine on the rocket and engine tests. The RD-181 engine was developed specifically for Antares and it allows more cargo to be brought up to the International Space Station.
The Russian company has cooperated with the US since 1990, delivering RD 180 engines for Atlas rockets.
Meanwhile until recently the US used the AJ-26 engines for Antares, which are based on the Soviet NK-33 modified by American manufacturer Aerojet. The first four Antares launch attempts were successful. During the fifth launch, last October, the rocket powered by AJ-26 engines failed catastrophically, exploding and falling back onto its launch pad at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
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