RD-180
NPO Energomash's RD-180 is a two-thrust-chamber, oxygen-rich staged-combustion LOX/kerosene booster engine developed from the four-chamber RD-170/RD-171 architecture. ULA documents 3,826 kN sea-level and 4,152 kN vacuum thrust with 312.7 s / 339.3 s specific impulse; the canonical record preserves its Atlas V heritage and retired lifecycle.
Identity
- Domains
- spaceflight
- Identity Level
- model
- Kind
- liquid-rocket-engine
- Name
- RD-180
- Status
- retired
Details
- Description
- NPO Energomash's RD-180 is a two-thrust-chamber, oxygen-rich staged-combustion LOX/kerosene booster engine developed from the four-chamber RD-170/RD-171 architecture. ULA documents 3,826 kN sea-level and 4,152 kN vacuum thrust with 312.7 s / 339.3 s specific impulse; the canonical record preserves its Atlas V heritage and retired lifecycle.
- Developers
- Family
- First Flight Date
- 2000-05-24
- Lineage
- Note
- RD-180 was developed as a two-chamber derivative of the four-chamber RD-170/RD-171 architecture.
- Related Propulsion System
- Relationship
- direct-derivative-of
- Sources
- Accessed Date
- 2026-07-29
- Publisher
- NASA Technical Reports Server
- Title
- The development of the RD-180 engine
- Manufacturers
- Propellants
- liquid oxygenkerosene
- Rocket Specs
- Chamber Count
- 2
- Cycle
- staged combustion
- Sea Level Specific Impulse S
- 312.7
- Sea Level Thrust Kn
- 3826.36
- Vacuum Specific Impulse S
- 339.3
- Vacuum Thrust Kn
- 4151.97
Links
- Official Url
- https://www.ulalaunch.com/rockets/atlas-v
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- July 29, 2026 at 09:44:31 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 22, 2026 at 03:37:51 UTC
- Image
- Download
Other
- Sources
- Accessed Date
- 2026-07-29
- Publisher
- NASA Technical Reports Server
- Title
- The development of the RD-180 engine
- Accessed Date
- 2026-07-29
- Note
- Supports the legacy vehicle installation and the narrow canonical identity used for migration.
- Publisher
- Official vehicle or program source
- Title
- Atlas IIIB official vehicle reference
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-13
- Note
- ULA documents the RD-180 as the Atlas V main engine.
- Publisher
- United Launch Alliance
- Title
- Atlas V
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-14
- Note
- ULA technical document specifies oxygen-rich staged combustion, two thrust chambers, 860,200/933,400 lbf sea-level/vacuum thrust, and 312.7/339.3 s specific impulse.
- Publisher
- United Launch Alliance
- Title
- Incorporation of RD-180 Failure Response Features
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-14
- Note
- NASA identifies the RD-180 booster system as a single engine with two thrust chambers burning RP-1 and liquid oxygen and providing 860,200 lbf at liftoff.
- Publisher
- NASA Science
- Title
- Workhorse Rocket to Launch NASA InSight on Its Mission to Mars
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-15
- Note
- ULA records RD-180 debut on the Atlas III in May 2000.
- Publisher
- United Launch Alliance
- Title
- RD-180 Engine: An Established Record of Performance