MOSCOW, The Samara-based Progress Space Rocket Center in the Volga area has received the first four tested engines for the third stage of Soyuz carrier rockets, CEO of Energomash rocket engine producer Igor Arbuzov said on Thursday. 

The Progress Space Rocket Center is the manufacturer of Soyuz carrier rockets.

"The Voronezh Mechanical Factory has approved a schedule of testing and dispatching engines for the third stage of Soyuz carrier rockets and the second and third stages of Proton-M carriers. Under the schedule, the works have been carried out since February 2017. As of today, four engines for Soyuz rockets have been tested and dispatched to the Progress Space Rocket Center," Arbuzov said.

According to the chief executive, the other engines for the Soyuz carrier rockets will be tested in 2017-2018 and delivered in compliance with the schedule of launches of State Space Corporation Roscosmos.

Roscosmos earlier recalled for tests all the engines mounted on the second and the third stages of Proton-M carrier rockets and produced at the Voronezh Mechanical Factory. 

According to Roscosmos, a more expensive solder alloy failing to meet the requirements specification was used by the factory as part of the engine production.

Roscosmos also gave instructions to replace the engines produced by this factory and mounted on the third stages of Soyuz-U and Soyuz-FG carrier rockets intended for launches to the International Space Station. The engines had to be replaced after an accident with a Soyuz-U carrier rocket on December 1, 2016, which resulted in the crash of a Progress MS-04 space freighter.

After Roscosmos officials visited the Voronezh Mechanical Factory on January 20, Factory Director Ivan Koptev resigned of his own free will over the unsatisfactory work and quality of the enterprise’s output.

Quelle: TASS