RD-171
NPO Energomash RD-171 is the four-chamber oxidizer-rich staged-combustion LOX/kerosene Zenit branch of the RD-170 architecture. NASA describes RD-171 as the Zenit booster derivative with a different gimbal arrangement from RD-170; FAA records 7,117 kN first-stage engine thrust on Zenit vehicles. Lifecycle remains retired because the Zenit launch family is no longer operational.
Identity
- Domains
- spaceflight
- Identity Level
- model
- Kind
- liquid-rocket-engine
- Name
- RD-171
- Status
- retired
Details
- Description
- NPO Energomash RD-171 is the four-chamber oxidizer-rich staged-combustion LOX/kerosene Zenit branch of the RD-170 architecture. NASA describes RD-171 as the Zenit booster derivative with a different gimbal arrangement from RD-170; FAA records 7,117 kN first-stage engine thrust on Zenit vehicles. Lifecycle remains retired because the Zenit launch family is no longer operational.
- Developers
- Family
- Lineage
- Note
- NPO Energomash identifies RD-171 as the Zenit derivative of the RD-170 base architecture.
- Related Propulsion System
- Relationship
- direct-derivative-of
- Sources
- Accessed Date
- 2026-07-29
- Publisher
- NPO Energomash / Samara University repository
- Title
- Modern RD-171M, RD-180 and RD-191 liquid propellant rocket engines: program status and perspectives
- Manufacturers
- Propellants
- liquid oxygenkerosene
- Rocket Specs
- Chamber Count
- 4
- Cycle
- staged combustion
- Sea Level Thrust Kn
- 7,117
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- July 29, 2026 at 09:56:19 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 15, 2026 at 04:22:11 UTC
Other
- Sources
- Accessed Date
- 2026-07-29
- Publisher
- NPO Energomash / Samara University repository
- Title
- Modern RD-171M, RD-180 and RD-191 liquid propellant rocket engines: program status and perspectives
- Accessed Date
- 2026-07-29
- Note
- Supports the legacy vehicle installation and the narrow canonical identity used for migration.
- Publisher
- Yuzhnoye State Design Office / Yuzhmash
- Title
- Zenit-2 Series official vehicle reference
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-14
- Publisher
- NASA Technical Reports Server
- Title
- The development of the RD-180 engine: RD-170/RD-171 comparison
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-14
- Publisher
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Title
- Zenit launch vehicle fact sheet