SE “southern machine-building plant them.Makarov” (UMZ, Dnipro) prepares for 2018 the expansion of co-operatives with the American Orbital ATK Inc. according to the program of the launch vehicle (LV) medium class Antares involved in the execution of the contract of NASA’s commercial resupply services (CRS) International space station (ISS).

As have informed Agency “Interfax-Ukraine” a source in the UMZ, in 2018, the company expects to receive a new, additional service with the us side to supply in the U.S. the basic design of the first stage for Antares rocket.

“To date, the program cooperation provided by “Yuzhmash” in the framework of the concluded with the American company in 2008, the contract for the supply of 14 major units of the first stage Antares rocket. Today, 10 of them have already been shipped to the customer, to deliver an additional four products scheduled for 2018,” – said the Agency interlocutor .

“Given that annual demand for Antares rocket until 2025, according to the Americans, is 2 start in the year, today we are working with our partners plans to issue an additional order in the framework of 12 basic designs the first stage in excess of the current contract,” he said, adding that, “according to the agreement, the new contract is with Orbital OTK is planned for 2018”.

As reported, in 2008, Ukrainian SDO “Yuzhnoye” and “Yuzhmash” signed a long-term, up to 2019, the contract with U.S. Orbital Science Corp. on the development and manufacture of the first stage of the Antares rocket to deliver cargo to the ISS. Manufacturer of truck Cygnus, which provides delivery of cargoes to the ISS using Antares rocket provided by the European Thales Alenia Space. After the accident, the Antares rocket in October 2014, Orbital has decided to replace the rocket engine AJ-26, which is a modification of purchased U.S. Soviet NK-33, RD-181 Russian NPO “Energomash” (a modification of the RD-180-if).

Since 2013, the program provided seven launches Antares rocket to ISS, the seventh start-up launched from a spaceport on the island wallops flight facility (USA) in November 2017. Until the end of 2018 it is planned to make five starts, from 2019 to 2024 – six.

United States in connection with the introduction in 2014, the congressional restrictions on military-technical cooperation with Russia due to the annexation of the Crimea by 2019 plan to give up Russian RD-180 engines, which are equipped with PH Atlas 5 American Allianсе United Launch (ULA). Delivery of RD-181, which are equipped with the new Antares rocket to the ISS, is limited to the civil sphere. As announced in June, 2015, the U.S. air force tender for development of engines to replace the Russian RD-180, took part Ukrainian GKB “South” (Dnieper) with its new liquid-RD-815. Currently, Ukraine and the USA continue negotiations on cooperation in the field of rocket engine.

In February 2015 Orbital Sciences Corporation. as part of a merger with the us Aerospace and defense Groups of Alliant Techsystems Inc. entered into a combined Orbital ATK.