RD-0120
KBKhA RD-0120 (11D122) was the Soviet Energia core-stage hydrolox engine. It used a fuel-rich staged-combustion cycle with one chamber; KBKhA documents 200-ton-force vacuum thrust and 455 s vacuum specific impulse, while the National Academies reports approximately 330,000 lbf sea-level thrust and 341 s sea-level specific impulse for the production engine. Four RD-0120 engines powered the Energia core stage; the row remains retired with the documented 1987–1988 flight dates.
Identity
- Domains
- spaceflight
- Identity Level
- model
- Kind
- liquid-rocket-engine
- Name
- RD-0120
- Status
- retired
Details
- Description
- KBKhA RD-0120 (11D122) was the Soviet Energia core-stage hydrolox engine. It used a fuel-rich staged-combustion cycle with one chamber; KBKhA documents 200-ton-force vacuum thrust and 455 s vacuum specific impulse, while the National Academies reports approximately 330,000 lbf sea-level thrust and 341 s sea-level specific impulse for the production engine. Four RD-0120 engines powered the Energia core stage; the row remains retired with the documented 1987–1988 flight dates.
- Developers
- First Flight Date
- 1987-05-15
- Manufacturers
- Propellants
- liquid hydrogenliquid oxygen
- Retirement Date
- 1988-11-15
- Rocket Specs
- Chamber Count
- 1
- Cycle
- fuel-rich staged combustion
- Sea Level Specific Impulse S
- 341
- Sea Level Thrust Kn
- 1467.91
- Vacuum Specific Impulse S
- 455
- Vacuum Thrust Kn
- 1961.3
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- July 29, 2026 at 11:38:41 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 21, 2026 at 17:06:36 UTC
Other
- Sources
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-21
- Note
- JSC KBKhA's RD0120 page identifies the 11D122 engine's fuel-rich staged-combustion LOX/LH2 architecture and the canonical engine designation used here.
- Publisher
- Chemical Automatics Design Bureau (KBKhA)
- Title
- RD0120
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-21
- Note
- Energia's official history provides the vehicle-level context for RD-0120 as the four-engine Energia core-stage installation; this source supports the installation relationship without replacing the propulsion identity.
- Publisher
- S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia
- Title
- Energia Heavy Launch Vehicle
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-21
- Note
- The National Academies reports RD-0120 staged combustion, approximately 330,000 lbf sea-level thrust, 341 s sea-level specific impulse, and 455 s vacuum specific impulse, independently corroborating the normalized technical fields.
- Publisher
- National Academies Press
- Title
- Reusable Launch Vehicle: Technology Development and Test Program