Photo: Sergei Guneev/Sputnik

Russia's Energomash rocket engine manufacturer, which is part of state space corporation Roscosmos, has started to adapt RD-180 engines, which have been in use for US Atlas carrier rockets, and the medium-class Soyuz-6 and super-heavy Yenisei launch vehicles, Energomash Director General Igor Arbuzov has said.

"The RD-180 engine, which has unique flight statistics, will be used in the first stage of the Soyuz-6 rocket, which can replace the Soyuz-2 medium-class launch vehicle in the future, as well as in the central block of the super-heavy launch vehicle. We have already started active work on adapting the RD-180 to the new version of the rocket," Arbuzov said, as quoted by Energomash press service.

According to him, the adapted engine, which was previously called RD-180MV, will have enhanced fire protection, new filters, coatings, modern materials, a new control system and a high-speed emergency protection system.

The first launch of Soyuz-6 is scheduled for 2025 from the Baikonur spaceport, while the first Yenisei is planned to be launched from the Vostochny space centre in 2028.

Russia has delivered 116 domestically built RD-180 engines for US carrier rockets since 1990, and 89 of the engines have already been used during launches.