JSC Kuznetsov (russian: ПАО «Кузнецов») is one of the leading Russian producers of aircraft engines, liquid-propellant rocket engines as well as aeroderivative gas turbines and modular stations. The current joint-stock company was established through the consolidation of several

Samara Samara ( rus, Сама́ра, p=sɐˈmarə), known from 1935 to 1991 as Kuybyshev (; ), is the largest city and administrative centre of Samara Oblast. The city is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Samara (Volga), Samara rivers, with ...

-based aerospace engine companies, including JSC N.D. Kuznetsov SNTK, JSC Samara Design Bureau of Machine Building and JSC NPO Povolzhskiy AviTI.

History

The company was established in 1912 as the Gnome Factory of Moscow, after the French aircraft engine company

Gnome et Rhône Gnome et Rhône was a major French aircraft engine manufacturer. Between 1914 and 1918 they produced 25,000 of their 9-cylinder Delta and Le Rhône 110 hp (81 kW) rotary designs, while another 75,000 were produced by various licen ...

which supplied the engine parts assembled by the plant. In 1925 it was renamed 'Frunze Factory No. 24', after Bolshevik leader

Mikhail Frunze Mikhail Vasilyevich Frunze (russian: Михаил Васильевич Фрунзе; ro, Mihail Frunză; 2 February 1885 – 31 October 1925) was a Bolshevik leader during and just prior to the Russian Revolution of 1917. Born in the modern-day ...

. The factory was evacuated to its current location in Samara in 1941. The Samara Frunze Engine-Building Production Association was one of the principal aerospace engine production complexes in Russia, with six plants and 25,000 employees in the early 1990s. It has produced turbojet and turboprop engines for military and civil use, including Blackjack and Backfire bombers and

Tu-154 The Tupolev Tu-154 (russian: Tyполев Ту-154; NATO reporting name: "Careless") is a three-engined, medium-range, narrow-body airliner designed in the mid-1960s and manufactured by Tupolev. A workhorse of Soviet and (subsequently) Russian ...

transports. The NK-12M engine produced by Frunze is the most powerful turboprop in the world. Samara Frunze also produced engines for the

Salyut The ''Salyut'' programme (russian: Салют, , meaning "salute" or "fireworks") was the first space station programme, undertaken by the Soviet Union. It involved a series of four crewed scientific research space stations and two crewed ...

spacecraft and for the

Mir space station ''Mir'' (russian: Мир, ; ) was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to&n ...

. Re-established as the

joint-stock company A joint-stock company is a business entity in which shares of the company's capital stock, stock can be bought and sold by shareholders. Each shareholder owns company stock in proportion, evidenced by their share (finance), shares (certificates ...

Motorostroitel in 1994, it retained this denomination until 2010, when it was merged with several other Samara-based engine plants on the verge of bankruptcy. It then took the name of one of new its subsidiaries,

Kuznetsov Design Bureau The Kuznetsov Design Bureau (russian: СНТК им. Н. Д. Кузнецова, also known as OKB-276) was a Russian design bureau for aircraft engines, administrated in Soviet times by Nikolai Dmitriyevich Kuznetsov. It was also known as (G)N ...

Products

Aerojet AJ26 in the Stennis E-1 Test Stand - cropped

The current production range of JSC Kuznetsov includes the

NK-33 The NK-33 and NK-43 are rocket engines designed and built in the late 1960s and early 1970s by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau. The NK designation is derived from the initials of chief designer Nikolay Kuznetsov. The NK-33 was among the most powerf ...

rocket engine, the

Kuznetsov NK-32 The Kuznetsov NK-32 is an afterburning three-spool low bypass turbofan jet engine which powers the Tupolev Tu-160 supersonic bomber, and was fitted to the later model Tupolev Tu-144LL supersonic transport. It produces of thrust in afterburner ...

aviation engine and the NK-37ST industrial engine. In 2016 the company announced plans to produce a modernized version of its

NK-32 The Kuznetsov NK-32 is an afterburning three-spool low bypass turbofan jet engine which powers the Tupolev Tu-160 supersonic bomber, and was fitted to the later model Tupolev Tu-144LL supersonic transport. It produces of thrust in afterburne ...

engine by the end of the year. ; Products The Kuznetzov Bureau first became notable for producing the monstrous

Kuznetsov NK-12 The Kuznetsov NK-12 is a Soviet turboprop engine of the 1950s, designed by the Kuznetsov design bureau. The NK-12 drives two large four-bladed contra-rotating propellers, diameter (NK-12MA), and diameter (NK-12MV). It is the most powerful tu ...

turboprop engine A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. Fuel ...

that powered the

Tupolev Tu-95 The Tupolev Tu-95 (russian: Туполев Ту-95; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of the ...

bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped ...

beginning in 1952 as a development of the Junkers 0022 engine. The new engine eventually generated about 15,000

horsepower Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the ...

(11.2

megawatt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units, International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), ...

s), far more than any Western turboprop engine of its time, and it was also used in the large

Antonov An-22 The Antonov An-22 "Antei" (, ''An-22 Antej''; English ''Antaeus'') (NATO reporting name "Cock") is a heavy military transport aircraft designed by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Powered by four turboprop engines each driving a pa ...

Soviet Air Force The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...

transport. Kuznetsov also produced the

Kuznetsov NK-8 The NK-8 was a low-bypass turbofan engine built by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau, in the thrust class. It powered production models of the Ilyushin Il-62 and the Tupolev Tu-154A and B models. Variants ;NK-8-2: (Tupolev Tu-154) ;NK-8-2U: (Tupo ...

turbofan engine The turbofan or fanjet is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft propulsion. The word "turbofan" is a portmanteau of "turbine" and "fan": the ''turbo'' portion refers to a gas turbine engine which achieves mechanic ...

in the class that powered the

Ilyushin Il-62 The Ilyushin Il-62 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-62; NATO reporting name: Classic) is a Soviet long-range narrow-body jetliner conceived in 1960 by Ilyushin. As successor to the popular turboprop Il-18 and with capacity for almost 200 pa ...

and

Tupolev Tu-154 The Tupolev Tu-154 (russian: Tyполев Ту-154; NATO reporting name: "Careless") is a three-engined, medium-range, narrow-body airliner designed in the mid-1960s and manufactured by Tupolev. A workhorse of Soviet and (subsequently) Russian ...

airliner An airliner is a type of aircraft for transporting passengers and air cargo. Such aircraft are most often operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an ...

s. This engine was next upgraded to become the about Kuznetsov NK-86 engine that powered the

Ilyushin Il-86 The Ilyushin Il-86 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-86; NATO reporting name: Camber) is a short- to medium-range wide-body jet airliner that served as the USSR's first wide-bodied aircraft. Designed and tested by the Ilyushin design bureau in th ...

aircraft. This Bureau also produced the

Kuznetsov NK-144 The Kuznetsov NK-144 is an afterburning turbofan engine made by the Soviet Kuznetsov Design Bureau. Used on the early models of the Tupolev Tu-144 supersonic aircraft, it was very inefficient and was replaced with the Kolesov RD-36-51 The Ko ...

afterburning An afterburner (or reheat in British English) is an additional combustion component used on some jet engines, mostly those on military supersonic aircraft. Its purpose is to increase thrust, usually for supersonic flight, takeoff, and combat ...

turbofan engine. This engine powered the early models of the

Tupolev Tu-144 The Tupolev Tu-144 (russian: Tyполев Ту-144; NATO reporting name: Charger) is a Soviet supersonic passenger airliner designed by Tupolev in operation from 1968 to 1999. The Tu-144 was the world's first commercial supersonic transport ai ...

SST. The Kuznetsov Design Bureau also produced the Kuznetsov NK-87

that was used on the

Lun-class ekranoplan The ''Lun''-class ekranoplan (also called Project 903) is the only ground effect vehicle (GEV) to ever be operationally deployed as a warship. designed by Rostislav Alexeyev in 1975 and used by the Soviet and Russian navies from 1987 until ...

. (Only one such aircraft has ever been produced.) Kuznetsov's most powerful aviation engine is the Kuznetsov NK-321 that propels the

Tupolev Tu-160 The Tupolev Tu-160 (russian: Туполев Ту-160 Белый лебедь, translit=Belyj Lebeď, translation= White Swan; NATO reporting name: Blackjack) is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing heavy strategic bomber designed by the Tupolev Des ...

bomber and was formerly used in the later models of the Tu-144

supersonic transport A supersonic transport (SST) or a supersonic airliner is a civilian supersonic aircraft designed to transport passengers at speeds greater than the speed of sound. To date, the only SSTs to see regular service have been Concorde and the Tupol ...

(an SST that is now obsolete and no longer flown). The NK-321 produced a maximum of about of thrust.

Aircraft engines

The Kuznetzov Bureau first became notable for producing the monstrous Kuznetsov NK-12 turboprop engine that powered the Tupolev Tu-95 bomber beginning in 1952 as a development of the Junkers 022 engine. The new engine eventually generated about 15,000 horsepower (11.2 megawatts), far more than any Western turboprop engine of its time, and it was also used in the large Antonov An-22 Soviet Air Force transport. Kuznetsov also produced the Kuznetsov NK-8 turbofan engine in the 20,000-pound-thrust (90 kilonewton-thrust) class that powered the Ilyushin Il-62 and Tupolev Tu-154 airliners. This engine was next upgraded to become the about 28,000-pound (125-kilonewton) Kuznetsov NK-86 engine that powered the Ilyushin Il-86 aircraft. This Bureau also produced the Kuznetsov NK-144 afterburning turbofan engine. This engine powered the early models of the Tupolev Tu-144 SST. The Kuznetsov Design Bureau also produced the Kuznetsov NK-87 turbofan engine that was used on the Lun-class ekranoplan. (Only one such aircraft has ever been produced.) Kuznetsov's most powerful aviation engine is the Kuznetsov NK-321 that propels the Tupolev Tu-160 bomber and was formerly used in the later models of the Tu-144 supersonic transport (an SST that is now obsolete and no longer flown). The NK-321 produced a maximum of about 55,000-pounds (245 kilonewtons) of thrust. Kuznetsov aircraft engines include: * Kuznetsov RD-20

turbojet The turbojet is an airbreathing jet engine which is typically used in aircraft. It consists of a gas turbine with a propelling nozzle. The gas turbine has an air inlet which includes inlet guide vanes, a compressor, a combustion chamber, and ...

. Licensed production of the

BMW 003 The BMW 003 (full RLM designation 109-003) is an early axial turbojet engine produced by BMW AG in Germany during World War II. The 003 and the Junkers Jumo 004 were the only German turbojet engines to reach production during World War II. W ...

. Powered the

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-9, USAF/DoD designation: Type 1, NATO reporting name: Fargo) was the first turbojet fighter developed by Mikoyan-Gurevich in the years immediately after World War II. ...

. * Kuznetsov TV-022

turboprop A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. Fuel ...

(TurboVintovy TV12 TreibWerk TW 12) Reproduction of the Junkers Jumo 022 . *

Kuznetsov TV-2 The Kuznetsov TV-2 was an early Soviet turboprop engine, designed by the Kuybyshev Engine Design Bureau. Applications ;TV-2F: Antonov An-8 (proposed) Tupolev '101' (project) Tupolev '102' (project)Tupolev Tu-118 (project) ;TV-2M: Tupolev Tu- ...

turboprop. * Kuznetsov NK-4 turboprop. Powered the early

Antonov An-10 The Antonov An-10 Ukraina ( ua, Антонов Ан-10 Україна, , Ukraine; NATO reporting name: Cat) is a four-engined turboprop passenger transport aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Design and development Development of a four-en ...

and

Ilyushin Il-18 The Ilyushin Il-18 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-18; NATO reporting name: Coot) is a large turboprop airliner that first flew in 1957 and became one of the best known and most durable Soviet aircraft of its era. The Il-18 was one of the world ...

. *

Kuznetsov NK-6 The Kuznetsov NK-6 was a low-bypass afterburning turbofan engine, designed by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau. Development Development of the NK-6 started in 1955 at the Kuznetsov Design Bureau. It was the first afterburning by-pass engine made in t ...

turbofan The turbofan or fanjet is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft engine, aircraft propulsion. The word "turbofan" is a portmanteau of "turbine" and "fan": the ''turbo'' portion refers to a gas turbine engine which ac ...

. Powered the Tupolev Tu-95LL and was considered for the

Tupolev Tu-22 The Tupolev Tu-22 ( NATO reporting name: Blinder) was the first supersonic bomber to enter production in the Soviet Union. Manufactured by Tupolev, the Tu-22 entered service with the Soviet military in the 1960s. The aircraft was a disappoint ...

and

Tupolev Tu-123 The Tupolev Tu-123 Yastreb (Hawk, russian: Ястреб) was one of the earliest Soviet reconnaissance drones that began development in 1960. Sometimes referred to as the "DBR-1", it was introduced into active service in 1964. Design The Tu-12 ...

, but this never happened. *

turbofan. Powers the original

A-90 Orlyonok The A-90 ''Orlyonok'' (Russian: Орлёнок, English: "Eaglet") is a Soviet ''ekranoplan'' that was designed by Rostislav Evgenievich Alexeyev of the Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau. The A-90 uses ground effect to fly a few meters above ...

ekranoplan A ground-effect vehicle (GEV), also called a wing-in-ground-effect (WIG), ground-effect craft, wingship, flarecraft or ekranoplan (russian: экранопла́н – "screenglider"), is a vehicle that is able to move over the surface by gainin ...

and the

A and B models. *

contra rotating turboprop. Powers all the versions of the

Tupolev Tu-114 The Tupolev Tu-114 Rossiya ( ru , link=no, Tyполев Тy-114 Poccия; NATO reporting name Cleat) was a turboprop-powered long-range airliner designed by the Tupolev design bureau and built in the Soviet Union from May 1955. The aircraft was ...

Tupolev Tu-126 The Tupolev Tu-126 (NATO reporting name: Moss) was an airborne early warning and control aircraft developed from the Tupolev Tu-114 airliner by the Tupolev design bureau. It was in service with the armed forces of the Soviet Union from 1965 to 1 ...

and the A-90 Orlyonok ekranoplan. Initially designated as TV-12, but was renamed to NK-12 in honor of the company's founder, Nikolai Kuznetsov. *

Kuznetsov NK-14 The Kuznetsov NK-14A was an onboard nuclear-powered engine which was made to be used on the Tupolev Tu-119 nuclear-powered aircraft, designed and built by the Soviet Kuznetsov Design Bureau. The design of the plane was based on a modified Tupolev ...

nuclear-powered Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced b ...

engine. Powered the inboard engine of the prototype

Tupolev Tu-119 The Tupolev Tu-95LAL (russian: Летающая Атомная Лаборатория, translit=Letayushchaya Atomnaya Laboratoriya, lit=flying atomic laboratory) was an experimental aircraft that was a modified Tupolev Tu-95 Soviet bomber aircra ...

nuclear-powered aircraft; a modified version of the Tupolev Tu-95. * Kuznetsov NK-16 turboprop. Was to power the Tupolev Tu-96. *

Kuznetsov NK-22 The Kuznetsov NK-22 is an afterburning turbofan engine, designed by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau. Development In April 1967, the Kuznetsov Design Bureau accepted an official request to create a new engine that would later be designated as the NK- ...

afterburning turbofan. Powered the

Tupolev Tu-22M The Tupolev Tu-22M (russian: Туполев Ту-22М; NATO reporting name: Backfire) is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing, long-range strategic and maritime strike bomber developed by the Tupolev, Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1960s. According ...

0, M1 and M2. *

Kuznetsov NK-25 The Kuznetsov NK-25 is a turbofan aircraft engine used in the Tupolev Tu-22M strategic bomber. It can equal the NK-321 engine as one of the most powerful supersonic engines in service today. It is rated at thrust. The three shaft engine we cal ...

afterburning turbofan. Developed from the NK-22; powers the

3. * Kuznetsov NK-26 turboprop. Intended for ekranoplans. *

afterburning turbofan. Powers the

and the later models of the

. : NK-321 (136 kN cruise 245 kN , NK321M 280 to 300/350 kN ,max 386) : NK-32-02 for

An-124 The Antonov An-124 Ruslan (; russian: Антонов Ан-124 Руслан, , Ruslan; NATO reporting name: Condor) is a large, strategic airlift, four-engined aircraft that was designed in the 1980s by the Antonov design bureau in the Ukraini ...

Tu-160 The Tupolev Tu-160 (russian: Туполев Ту-160 Белый лебедь, translit=Belyj Lebeď, translation= White Swan; NATO reporting name: Blackjack) is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing heavy strategic bomber designed by the Tupolev Des ...

and PAK DA :* NK-23D a hbp turbofan for alternative of AI-18T Lotarev D-18 within 230 250 kN thrust. :* Kuznetsov PD-30 , a geared high-bypass turbofan variant derived from the

300 kN (max 328/350) * Kuznetsov NK-34 turbojet. Intended for seaplanes. * NK-44 turbofan. 400 kN (max up to 450) *

Kuznetsov NK-56 Kuznetsov, Kuznyetsov, Kuznetsoff, or Kouznetsov (masculine, russian: Кузнецов) or Kuznetsova (feminine, russian: Кузнецова) is the third most common Russian surname, an equivalent of the English language, English "Smith (surname), ...

turbofan. Was to power the

Ilyushin Il-96 The Ilyushin Il-96 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-96) is a Russian quadjet long-haul wide-body airliner designed by Ilyushin in the former Soviet Union and manufactured by the Voronezh Aircraft Production Association in Russia. It is powered by ...

, but was cancelled in favor of the Aviadvigatel PS-90. * NK-64 turbofan. 350 kN intended for Tu-204 * Kuznetsov NK-65 turbofan. Intended for PAK DA * NK-74 270 kN engine for a modified Tu-160 for extended range * Kuznetsov NK-86 turbofan. Upgraded version of the NK-8, powers the

. * Kuznetsov NK-87 turbofan. Based on the NK-86, powers the

. *

Kuznetsov NK-88 The Kuznetsov NK-88 was an experimental alternative fuel turbofan engine, designed by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau. Development Development of the NK-88 began in 1974 at the Kuznetsov Design Bureau. It was a modification of the NK-8-2U two-sp ...

experimental turbofan. Powers the

Tupolev Tu-155 The Tupolev Tu-155 is a modified Tupolev Tu-154 (СССР-85035) which was used as an alternative fuel testbed, and was the world's first experimental aircraft operating on hydrogen and later liquid natural gas. The similar Tu-156 was never built ...

hydrogen and

LNG Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas (predominantly methane, CH4, with some mixture of ethane, C2H6) that has been cooled down to liquid form for ease and safety of non-pressurized storage or transport. It takes up about 1/600th the volu ...

powered aircraft. *

Kuznetsov NK-89 The Kuznetsov NK-89 was an experimental alternative fuel turbofan engine, designed by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau. Development The NK-89 was a modified version of the hydrogen-powered NK-88 and was designed to run on both liquified natural g ...

experimental turbofan. Was to power the unbuilt Tupolev Tu-156. * Kuznetsov NK-92 turbofan (modified to NK-93 further on). 220 to < 350 kN *

Kuznetsov NK-93 The Kuznetsov NK-93 was a civilian aircraft engine, a hybrid between a turbofan and a turboprop known as a propfan. The engine was also unique in having a separate duct around the contra-rotating propellers, as most other propfans are unducted. ...

propfan A propfan, also called an open rotor engine, or unducted fan (as opposed to a ducted fan), is a type of aircraft engine related in concept to both the turboprop and turbofan, but distinct from both. The design is intended to offer the speed an ...

. Projected to power the Il-96, Tu-204, and Tu-330. * Kuznetsov NK-114 Ekranoplanes and aircraft engines * Kuznetsov NK-116

Beriev Be-2500 The Beriev Be-2500 Neptun (Russian: Бериев Бе-2500 Нептун) is a super heavy amphibious transport aircraft that, as of 2007, was in design and development by Russian design firm Beriev. The maximum takeoff weight is estimated at 25 ...

Neptun engine *

afterburning turbofan. Powered the early models of the

supersonic transport. * Kuznetsov NK-444 projectual * NK-256 projectual engine with take-off thrust up to 200-220 kN * NK-301

Industrial gas turbines

Kuznetsov industrial gas turbines include: * NK-12ST. Derivative of NK-12 turboprop. Serial production started in 1974. The engine is designed for gas pipelines. * NK-16ST. Derivative of NK-8 turbofan. Serial production started in 1982. Used in gas compressor stations. * NK-17ST/ NK-18ST. Uprated versions of NK-16ST. * NK-36ST. (25 MW) Derivative of NK-32 turbofan. Development tests conducted in 1990. * NK-37. (25 MW) Modification of NK36ST * NK-38ST. (16 MW) Derivative of NK-93 propfan (never flown). Development tests conducted in 1995. Serial production started in 1998.

Rocket engines

In 1959,

Sergey Korolev Sergei Pavlovich Korolev (russian: Сергей Павлович Королёв, Sergey Pavlovich Korolyov, sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈpavləvʲɪtɕ kərɐˈlʲɵf, Ru-Sergei Pavlovich Korolev.ogg; ukr, Сергій Павлович Корольов, ...

ordered a new design of

rocket engine A rocket engine uses stored rocket propellants as the reaction mass for forming a high-speed propulsive jet of fluid, usually high-temperature gas. Rocket engines are reaction engines, producing thrust by ejecting mass rearward, in accordanc ...

from the Kuznetzov Bureau for the

Global Rocket 1 The Global Rocket 1 (GR-1) was a Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS) intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed but not deployed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The system also was given the NATO reporting name SS-X-10 S ...

(GR-1)

Fractional Orbital Bombardment System A Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS) is a warhead delivery system that uses a low earth orbit towards its target destination. Just before reaching the target, it deorbits through a retrograde engine burn. Mark ZastrowHow does China’s ...

(FOBS)

intercontinental ballistic missile An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Conventional, chemical, and biological weapons c ...

(ICBM), which was developed but never deployed. The result was the NK-9, one of the first staged-combustion cycle rocket engines. The design was developed by Kuznetsov into the

NK-15 The NK-15 (GRAU index 11D51) was a rocket engine designed and built in the late 1960s by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau. The NK designation was derived from the initials of chief designer Nikolay Kuznetsov. The NK-15 was among the most powerful LOX/ ...

and

engines in the 1960s, and claimed them to be the highest-performance rocket engines ever built, which were to propel the N1 lunar rocket—one that was never successfully launched.Lindroos, Marcus
THE SOVIET MANNED LUNAR PROGRAM
''

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...

''. Accessed: 4 October 2011. As of 2011, the aging NK-33 remains the most efficient (in terms of thrust-to-mass ratio) LOX/Kerosene rocket engine ever created. The

Orbital Sciences Orbital Sciences Corporation (commonly referred to as Orbital) was an American company specializing in the design, manufacture, and launch of small- and medium- class space and launch vehicle systems for commercial, military and other governmen ...

Antares Antares is the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius. It has the Bayer designation α Scorpii, which is Latinised to Alpha Scorpii. Often referred to as "the heart of the scorpion", Antares is flanked by σ Scorpii and τ S ...

light-to-medium-lift launcher has two modified NK-33 in its first stage, a

solid Solid is one of the State of matter#Four fundamental states, four fundamental states of matter (the others being liquid, gas, and Plasma (physics), plasma). The molecules in a solid are closely packed together and contain the least amount o ...

second stage and a

hypergolic A hypergolic propellant is a rocket propellant combination used in a rocket engine, whose components spontaneously ignite when they come into contact with each other. The two propellant components usually consist of a fuel and an oxidizer. The ...

orbit stage. The NK-33s are first imported from Russia to the United States and then modified into Aerojet AJ26s, which involves removing some harnessing, adding U.S. electronics, qualifying it for U.S. propellants, and modifying the steering system. The Antares rocket was successfully launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on April 21, 2013. This marked the first successful launch of the NK-33 heritage engines built in early 1970s. Kuznetsov rocket engines include: *Kuznetsov oxygen-rich stage-combustion RP1/LOX rocket engine family. Including NK-9, NK-15, NK-19, NK-21,

, NK-39, NK-43. The original version was designed to power an ICBM. In the 1970s some improved versions were built for the ill-fated Soviet Lunar mission. More than 150 NK-33 engines were produced and stored in a warehouse ever since, with 36 engines having been sold to

Aerojet Aerojet was an American rocket and missile propulsion manufacturer based primarily in Rancho Cordova, California, with divisions in Redmond, Washington, Orange and Gainesville in Virginia, and Camden, Arkansas. Aerojet was owned by GenCorp. ...

general in the 1990s. Two NK-33 derived engines (Aerojet AJ-26) are used in the first stage of the

rocket developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation. The Antares rocket was successfully launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on April 21, 2013. This marked the first successful launch of the NK-33 heritage engines built in the early 1970s.

TsSKB-Progress The Progress Rocket Space Centre (russian: Ракетно-космический центр «Прогресс»), formerly known as TsSKB-Progress (russian: ЦСКБ-Прогресс), is a Russian joint-stock company under the jurisdiction ...

also uses the stockpile NK-33 as the first-stage engine of the lightweight version of the Soyuz rocket family, the

Soyuz-2-1v The Soyuz-2.1v (russian: Союз 2.1в, ''Union 2.1v''), GRAU index 14A15, known earlier in development as the Soyuz-1 (russian: Союз 1, ''Union 1''), is a Russian expendable launch vehicle. It was derived from the Soyuz-2.1b, and is a ...

. * RD-107A rocket engine. Powers the boosters of the

R-7 family The R-7 family of rockets (russian: Р-7) is a series of rockets, derived from the Soviet R-7 Semyorka, the world's first ICBM. More R-7 rockets have been launched than any other family of large rockets. When Soviet nuclear warheads became li ...

including the

Soyuz-FG The Soyuz-FG launch vehicle was an improved version of the Soyuz-U from the R-7 family of rockets, designed and constructed by TsSKB-Progress in Samara, Russia. Guidance, navigation, and control system was developed and manufactured by "Polisv ...

and

Soyuz-2 Soyuz-2 (GRAU index 14A14) is a modernized version of the Soviet Soyuz rocket. In its basic form, it is a three-stage launch vehicle for placing payloads into low Earth orbit. Compared to the previous versions of the Soyuz, the first-stage bo ...

. * RD-108A rocket engine. Powers the core stage of the

including the

and

References

External links

Official Website (in Russian)
{{Kuznetsov aeroengines Aircraft engine manufacturers of Russia Aircraft engine manufacturers of the Soviet Union Gas turbine manufacturers Marine engine manufacturers Space industry companies of Russia Rocket engine manufacturers of Russia United Engine Corporation Companies based in Samara, Russia Engine manufacturers of Russia Russian brands