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87-666: Atlas V is being phased out due to the national security implications of reliance on the Russian-built engine, which became a concern after the Russian annexation of Crimea . In 2021, Atlas manufacturer United Launch Alliance announced that it was retiring the Atlas V and that it had already taken delivery of the RD-180 engines for the remaining rockets. As of June 2024, 16 launches remain. In 2022, Russian supplies and maintenance were discontinued as

174-631: A criminal case to investigate the possible "subversion" of Ukraine's territorial integrity. On 20 February 2014, during a visit to Moscow , Chairman of the Supreme Council of Crimea Vladimir Konstantinov stated that the 1954 transfer of Crimea from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic had been a mistake. The Euromaidan protests came to

261-482: A subsidiary of American defense company L3Harris that manufactures rocket, hypersonic , and electric propulsive systems for space, defense, civil and commercial applications. Aerojet traces its origins to the General Tire and Rubber Company (later renamed GenCorp, Inc. as it diversified) established in 1915, while Rocketdyne was created as a division of North American Aviation in 1955. Aerojet Rocketdyne

348-550: A union republic on its own). By that time, though, the dissolution of the Soviet Union was well underway. The Crimean ASSR was restored for less than a year as part of Ukrainian SSR before the restoration of Ukrainian independence . Newly independent Ukraine maintained Crimea's autonomous status , while the Supreme Council of Crimea affirmed the peninsula's "sovereignty" as a part of Ukraine. The confrontation between

435-711: A 4–0 vote in January 2022 on grounds that this would eliminate the largest independent maker of rocket motors and Lockheed subsequently abandoned the deal in February 2022. In December 2022, L3Harris Technologies agreed to buy the company for $ 4.7 billion in cash. The acquisition was completed in July 2023. L3Harris named former CTO Ross Niebergall as president of the new Aerojet Rocketdyne business segment, which would now be headquartered in Palm Bay, Florida . On 13 October 2017, it

522-609: A Russian citizen, as mayor. Under the law of Ukraine, it was not possible for Sevastopol to elect a mayor, as the Chairman of the Sevastopol City State Administration , appointed by the president of Ukraine , functions as its mayor. A thousand protesters present chanted "A Russian mayor for a Russian city". On 25 February, several hundred pro-Russian protesters blocked the Crimean parliament demanding non-recognition of

609-464: A Russian flag, a pro-Euromaidan rally of between 5,000 and 15,000 was held in support of the new government, and demanding the resignation of the Crimean parliament; attendees waved Ukrainian, Tatar, and European Union flags. Meanwhile, in Sevastopol, thousands protested against the new Ukrainian government, voted to establish a parallel administration, and created civil defence squads with the support of

696-481: A consultant to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Universities Space Research Association and a former professor of aerospace engineering at Princeton University , suggested using the RD-180 for a prospective NASA heavy-lift launch vehicle. For those who might be concerned about too much reliance on Russia, he pointed out that RD Amross was "very close to producing a U.S.-built version of

783-535: A dialogue – we shall achieve much more than with standoffs". New Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko requested that the United Nations provide around-the-clock monitoring of the security situation in Crimea. Russian troops took control of the main route to Sevastopol on orders from Russian president Vladimir Putin . A military checkpoint, with a Russian flag and Russian military vehicles,

870-623: A few centimeters deep, nested around one another in concentric rings. The system is 227 kg (500 lb) and almost 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) in diameter. Aerojet Rocketdyne is the prime contractor to the US Department of Energy for the Multi-mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator . The first flight MMRTG is currently powering the Mars Curiosity Rover , and a second flight unit powers

957-619: A fully operational engine by 2020 or sooner, depending on partnership with the U.S. Defense Department. As a result of the geopolitical and US political considerations, United Launch Alliance considered a possible replacement for the Russian RD-180 engine used on the first-stage booster of the ULA Atlas V. Formal study contracts were issued in June 2014 to a number of US rocket-engine suppliers. In September 2014, ULA announced that it had entered into

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1044-564: A head in late February 2014, and Yanukovych and many of his ministers fled the capital on 22 February. After his flight, opposition parties and defectors from the Party of Regions put together a parliamentary quorum in the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament), and voted on 22 February to remove Yanukovych from his post on the grounds that he was unable to fulfill his duties. Arseniy Yatsenyuk

1131-525: A key growth corridor in the region. Approximately 6,000 acres (24 km ) of the Aerojet lands are now being planned as a community called Easton. Easton Development Company LLC was formed to assist in the process. In 1955, North American Aviation spun off Rocketdyne , a developer of rocket motors that built upon research conducted into the German V-2 Rocket after World War II. Rocketdyne would become

1218-736: A major supplier for NASA , producing the Rocketdyne F-1 engine for the Saturn V rocket of the Apollo Space Program as well as the RS-25 engine of the Space Shuttle program and its successor the Space Launch System (SLS) program. Together, Aerojet Rocketdyne has gone on to contribute to every successful NASA Mars mission, including powering the launch, entry, descent, and landing phases of

1305-442: A new engine by 2022. In June 2014, Aerojet Rocketdyne proposed that the federal government "fund an all-new, U.S.-sourced rocket propulsion system", the 2,200-kilonewton-class (500,000 lbf) thrust kerosene/ LOX AR-1 rocket engine . As of June 2014, Aerojet's projection was that the cost of each engine would be under US$ 25 million per pair of engines—not including the up to US$ 1 billion development cost to be funded by

1392-467: A partnership with Blue Origin to develop the BE-4 LOX / methane engine to replace the RD-180 on a new first-stage booster that would succeed the Atlas V . At the time, the engine was already in its third year of development by Blue Origin, and ULA expected the new stage and engine to start flying no earlier than 2019. Two of the 2,400- kilonewton (550,000  lbf )-thrust BE-4 engines would be used on

1479-634: A referendum of separation; the rally was organized by the Crimean Front . On 26 February, near the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea building, 4,000–5,000 Crimean Tatars and supporters of the Euromaidan -Crimea movement faced 600–700 supporters of pro-Russian organizations and the Russian Unity Party. Tatars leaders organised the demonstration in order to block the sitting of the Crimean parliament which

1566-482: A separate, publicly traded company, and transferred those businesses into it. GenCorp, Inc.'s two remaining businesses, as of 2008, were Aerojet and Easton Real Estate. GenCorp, Inc. withdrew its over-funded pension during the real estate boom years of 2006 and 2007. The real estate bust caused an underfunding of the pension plan of over $ 300 million. This caused a freeze of its pension plan on February 1, 2009, and an end to 401(k) match on January 15, 2009. The move

1653-516: A solid-fuel rocket, they needed binders, and turned to General Tire & Rubber for assistance. General became a partner in the company. Radio broadcasting began with the purchase of several radio networks starting in 1943. In 1952, its purchase of WOR-TV expanded the broadcast business into television. In 1953, General Tire & Rubber bought the RKO Radio Pictures movie studio. All of its media and entertainment holdings were organized into

1740-500: A true military coup , because the Russian military seized Crimea's parliament and government buildings and instigated the replacement of its government with Russian proxies. The February 2014 revolution of Dignity that ousted Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych sparked a political crisis in Crimea, which initially manifested as demonstrations against the new interim Ukrainian government , but rapidly escalated. In January 2014,

1827-438: Is "doing everything to execute plans of separation of Crimea from Ukraine". Supreme Council Chairman Vladimir Konstantinov said that the Crimean parliament would not consider separation from Ukraine, and that earlier reports that parliament would hold a debate on the matter were provocations. Tatars created self-defence groups, encouraged collaboration with Russians, Ukrainians, and people of other nationalities, and called for

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1914-466: Is considering an acquisition strategy to stimulate the commercial development of booster propulsion systems and/or launch systems for Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV)-class spacelift applications." The day before, the United Launch Alliance had taken delivery of two RD-180s, the first since the Russian annexation of Crimea . It was not clear when or if the RD-180 would be replaced, and

2001-526: The Arabat Spit , which is geographically a part of Crimea. Whilst the " little green men " were occupying the Crimean parliament building, the parliament held an emergency session. It voted to terminate the Crimean government, and replace Prime Minister Anatolii Mohyliov with Sergey Aksyonov . Aksyonov belonged to the Russian Unity party, which received 4% of the vote in the last election. According to

2088-454: The Constitution of Ukraine , the prime minister of Crimea is appointed by the Supreme Council of Crimea in consultation with the president of Ukraine . Both Aksyonov and speaker Vladimir Konstantinov stated that they viewed Viktor Yanukovych as the de jure president of Ukraine , through whom they were able to ask Russia for assistance. Aerojet Rocketdyne Aerojet Rocketdyne is

2175-1091: The Crimean Peninsula , part of Ukraine , and then annexed it. This took place in the relative power vacuum immediately following the Revolution of Dignity . It marked the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian War . The events in Kyiv that ousted Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych on 22 February 2014 sparked pro-Russian and anti-separatism demonstrations in Crimea . At the same time, Russian president Vladimir Putin discussed Ukrainian events with security chiefs, remarking that "we must start working on returning Crimea to Russia". On 27 February, Russian special forces without insignia seized strategic sites across Crimea. Although Russia at first denied its military involvement, Putin later admitted that troops were deployed to "stand behind Crimea's self-defence forces". As Russian troops occupied Crimea's parliament , it dismissed

2262-605: The Crimean government , installed the pro-Russian Aksyonov government, and announced a referendum on Crimea's status . The referendum was held under Russian occupation and, according to the Russian-installed authorities, the result was overwhelmingly in favor of joining Russia. The next day, 17 March 2014, Crimea's authorities declared independence and requested to join Russia. Russia formally incorporated Crimea on 18 March 2014 as

2349-700: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) during license renewal proceedings in the late 1980s. The FCC was reluctant to renew the broadcast licenses, due to widespread lying to advertisers and regulators. As a result of the protracted proceedings, GenCorp sold RKO General's broadcast properties beginning in 1987. GenCorp, Inc. also sold its former flagship, General Tire, to German tire manufacturer Continental AG in order to concentrate on Aerojet. In 1999, GenCorp, Inc. spun off its Decorative & Building Products and Performance Chemicals businesses. GenCorp, Inc. formed OMNOVA Solutions Inc. into

2436-662: The Party of Regions , failed to sign the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement . Yanukovych won the 2010 presidential election with strong support from voters in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and southern and eastern Ukraine . The Crimean autonomous government strongly supported Yanukovych and condemned the protests, saying they were "threatening political stability in the country". The Crimean autonomous parliament said that it supported

2523-475: The Perseverance rover mission. In 1984, General Tire created a parent holding company, GenCorp, Inc. , for its various business ventures. The main subsidiaries were: Through its RKO General subsidiary, the company also held stakes in: Faced with a hostile takeover attempt, among other difficulties, GenCorp, Inc. shed some of its long-held units in the late 1980s. RKO General ran into difficulties with

2610-457: The Republic of Crimea and federal city of Sevastopol . Following the annexation, Russia built up its military presence on the peninsula and warned against any outside intervention. Ukraine and many other countries condemned the annexation and consider it to be a violation of international law and Russian agreements safeguarding the territorial integrity of Ukraine. The annexation led to

2697-426: The Russian Unity party flags. Mayor Oleh Osadchy attempted to disperse the crowd and police eventually arrived to defend the flag. The mayor said "This is the territory of Ukraine, Crimea. Here's a flag of Crimea," but was accused of treason and a fight ensued over the flagpole. On 24 February, more rallied outside the Sevastopol city state administration. Pro-Russian demonstrators accompanied by neo-Cossacks demanded

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2784-548: The Sevastopol city council had already called for formation of "people's militia" units to "ensure firm defence" of the city from "extremism". On February 20 several buses with Crimean license plates were stopped at a pro-Maidan checkpoint in a town in Cherkasy oblast . Their passengers were violently intimidated and some buses were burned. This incident was subsequently used by Russian propaganda which made unsubstantiated claims that

2871-533: The government 's decision to suspend negotiations on the pending association agreement and urged Crimeans to "strengthen friendly ties with Russian regions". On 4 February 2014, the Presidium of the Supreme Council "promised" to consider holding a referendum on the peninsula's status. Speaker Vladimir Klychnikov asked to appeal to the Russian government to "guarantee the preservation of Crimean autonomy". The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) responded by opening

2958-586: The illegal occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , the fall of Crimea , and the invasion of Crimea . In the Russian Federation, it is also known as the accession of Crimea to the Russian Federation ( Russian : присоединение Крыма к Российской Федерации , romanized :  prisoyedineniye Kryma k Rossiyskoy Federatsii ), the return of Crimea ( Russian : возвращение Крыма , romanized :  vozvrashcheniye Kryma ), and

3045-710: The reunification of Crimea . Crimea was part of the Crimean Khanate from 1441 until it was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1783 by a decree of Catherine the Great . After the downfall of Russian empire in 1917 during the first stages of the Russian Civil War there were a series of short-lived independent governments ( Crimean People's Republic , Crimean Regional Government , Crimean SSR ). They were followed by White Russian governments ( General Command of

3132-775: The Armed Forces of South Russia and later South Russian Government ). In October 1921, the Bolshevik Russian SFSR gained control of the peninsula and instituted the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic as a member of Russian Federation. In the following year Crimea joined the Soviet Union as a part of Russia (the RSFSR ). After the Second World War and the 1944 deportation of all of

3219-619: The Atlas III. The engine has design features similar to the NK-33 , which was developed by a different bureau ( Kuznetzov ) nearly a decade earlier. Doubts about the reliability of the supply chain for the RD-180 arose following the Russian military intervention in Ukraine in March 2014. For over 13 years since the engine was first used in the Atlas III launch vehicle in 2000, there was no serious jeopardy to

3306-506: The Atlas V launch vehicle, in addition to 29 engines that the company had ordered before US sanctions were imposed on Russia over Crimea, and just days after the US Congress lifted the ban on Russian engines for American rockets. There were several plans to manufacture the RD-180 in the US, but none of them came to fruition. Under RD AMROSS , Pratt & Whitney is licensed to produce the RD-180 in

3393-702: The Black Sea Fleet, Russia should question Ukrainian control over Crimea. In 1998 the Partition Treaty divided the fleet and gave Russia a naval base in Sevastopol, and the Treaty of Friendship recognized the inviolability of existing borders. However, in 2003 Tuzla Island conflict issues over maritime border resurfaced. In September 2008, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko accused Russia of giving Russian passports to

3480-531: The Crimea and the port of Sevastopol – as seen by public opinion in Russia, statements by politicians, including members of the ruling United Russia party, experts and journalists". In 2011, William Varettoni wrote that "Russia wants to annex Crimea and is merely waiting for the right opportunity, most likely under the pretense of defending Russian brethren abroad". The Euromaidan protest movement began in Kyiv in late November 2013 after President Viktor Yanukovych , of

3567-403: The Crimean city of Sevastopol. Crimean prime minister Anatolii Mohyliov said that his government recognised the new provisional government in Kyiv, and that the Crimean autonomous government would carry out all laws passed by the Ukrainian parliament. In Simferopol , following a pro-Russian demonstration the previous day where protesters had replaced the Ukrainian flag over the parliament with

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3654-629: The Crimean parliament (80 of 100), the Party of Regions of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych , did not discuss Crimean secession, and were supportive of an agreement between President Yanukovych and Euromaidan activists to end the unrest that was struck on the same day in Kyiv . Russia was concerned that the new government avowedly committed to closer relations with the West put its strategic positions in Crimea at risk. On 22–23 February , Russian president Vladimir Putin convened an all-night meeting with security services chiefs to discuss extrication of

3741-629: The RD-170's combustion devices with half-size turbomachinery. After successful performance on a test stand and high-level agreements between the US government and the Russian government , the engines were imported to the US for use on the Lockheed Martin Atlas III , which flew from 2000 to 2005. The engine has been used since 2002 on the United Launch Alliance Atlas V , the successor to

3828-538: The RD-180 on the Atlas V. Even though the Russian government could cut off the supply to ULA of imported RD-180 engines, the US Congress , with emerging support from the Air Force , came to the view that it would not be advantageous to build a US production line for the RD-180, mainly because it would need a license from the Russian government. However, the US Congress in 2014 advocated a new US rocket engine program to field

3915-460: The RD-180, and with some infusion of NASA funding could be manufacturing that engine (and perhaps even a 1,700,000 lbf or 7.6 MN thrust equivalent of the RD-170) in a few years". On February 24, 2022, Russia began a large-scale military invasion of Ukraine . Six days later on March 2, 2022, as Russia continued the invasion, they announced an end of all sales and support of the RD-180 engines to

4002-688: The RFI asked for several options including similarity to the Russian engine, whether it would come in a new configuration and the use of "alternative launch vehicles" for the EELV mission. In 2014, RD-Amross were selling the RD-180s (to ULA) for $ 23.4m each. In January 2015, Orbital Sciences Corporation received all the necessary permissions from government bodies for the delivery of 60 engines from NPO Energomash. On 24 December 2015, United Launch Alliance announced that it had placed an order for more RD-180 engines to be used by

4089-651: The RKO General division. Due to the studio and rocket businesses, General Tire & Rubber came to own a great deal of property in California. Its internal facilities management unit began commercializing its operations, landing General Tire & Rubber in the real estate business. This started when Aerojet-General Corporation acquired approximately 12,600 acres (51 km ) of land in Eastern Sacramento County. Aerojet converted these former gold fields into one of

4176-457: The Russian Night Wolves motorcycle club. Protesters waved Russian flags, chanted "Putin is our president!" and said they would refuse to further pay taxes to the Ukrainian state. Russian military convoys were also alleged to be seen in the area. In Kerch , pro-Russian protesters attempted to remove the Ukrainian flag from atop city hall and replace it with the flag of Russia. Over 200 attended, waving Russian, orange-and-black St. George , and

4263-420: The Supreme Soviet declared that the deportation of the Crimean Tatars under Stalin had been illegal and the mostly Muslim ethnic group was allowed to return to Crimea. In 1990, the Soviet of the Crimean Oblast proposed the restoration of the Crimean ASSR. The oblast conducted a referendum in 1991, which asked whether Crimea should be elevated into a signatory of the New Union Treaty (that is, become

4350-552: The US Government. Aerojet believed that the AR-1 could replace the RD-180 in the US Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle fleet, and that it would be more affordable. On 21 August 2014, the U.S. Air Force released an official request for information (RFI) for a replacement for the RD-180. The RFI seeks information on "booster propulsion and/or launch system material options that could deliver cost-effective, commercially-viable solutions for current and future National Security Space (NSS) launch requirements. Air Force Space Command (AFSPC)

4437-462: The United States from using Russian-made rocket engines for military launches"—a frequent payload of the ULA Atlas V launch vehicle, which powers its first stage with a single RD-180 engine that is expended after each flight. In response, the US Air Force asked the Aerospace Corporation to evaluate alternatives for powering the Atlas 5 booster with non-RD-180 engines. Early estimates in 2014 were that it would require five or more years to replace

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4524-556: The United States, in retaliation for sanctions placed on Russia by the US for the Ukraine attack. Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation Based in Crimea, elements of Navy Deployed to Crimea, elements of Ground Forces (GRU command) Airborne Navy Special Operations Forces Armed forces Navy Paramilitary Interior troops Border guards Protesters Volunteer units Russian military forces Protesters Ukrainian military forces In February and March 2014, Russia invaded

4611-580: The United States. According to a 2005 GAO Assessment of Selected Major Weapon Programs, Pratt & Whitney planned to start building the RD-180 in the United States in 2008 with a first military launch by 2012, but this did not occur. United Launch Alliance (ULA) announced in February 2015 that it was considering undertaking US production of the Russian RD-180 engine at the Decatur , Alabama, rocket stage manufacturing facility. The US-manufactured engines would be used only for government civil (NASA) and commercial launches, not for US military launches. This project

4698-420: The central government of Ukraine and a referendum on Crimea's status. On the same day, crowds gathered again outside Sevastopol's city hall on Tuesday as rumours spread that security forces could arrest Chaly, but police chief Alexander Goncharov said that his officers would refuse to carry out "criminal orders" issued by Kyiv. Viktor Neganov, a Sevastopol-based adviser to the Internal Affairs Minister, condemned

4785-422: The cycle allow an oxygen-rich preburner to give a greater power-to-weight ratio , but with the drawback that high-pressure, high-temperature gaseous oxygen must be transported throughout the engine. If the surfaces contacting this oxygen were bare metal, they would corrode too quickly. The RD-180 solves this problem using an inert enamel coating on all metal surfaces in contact with the hot oxygen. The movements of

4872-505: The deal after complaining about "significant underperformance and deterioration of share price". Aerojet President J. Scott Neish was named interim CEO. In January 2010, Scott Seymour, the former head of Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems from 2002 to 2008, was appointed permanent CEO of GenCorp, Inc. and Neish resigned. In July 2012, GenCorp, Inc. agreed to buy rocket engine producer Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne from United Technologies Corporation for $ 550 million. The FTC approved

4959-416: The deal on June 10, 2013, and it closed on June 17. GenCorp, Inc. was later renamed Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc on April 27, 2015. On December 20, 2020, it was announced that Lockheed Martin would acquire the company for $ 4.4 billion. The acquisition was expected to close in first quarter of 2022, but this received opposition from Raytheon Technologies . Later the FTC sued to block this deal on

5046-435: The demonstration, it broke records for the maximum power output, thrust and operating current achieved by a Hall thruster to date. It operated at a range of power from 5 kW to 102 kW, with electric current of up to 260 amperes. It generated 5.4 newtons of thrust, "which is the highest level of thrust achieved by any plasma thruster to date". A novelty in its design is that it incorporates three plasma channels, each

5133-419: The deposed Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych, and at the end of that meeting Putin had remarked that "we must start working on returning Crimea to Russia". After that GRU and FSB began negotiating deals with local sympathizers to ensure that when the operation began there would be well‑armed "local self‑defense groups" on the streets for support. On 23 February pro-Russian demonstrations were held in

5220-655: The election of a Russian citizen as mayor and hoisted Russian flags around the city administration; they also handed out leaflets to sign up for a self-defence militia, warning that the " Blue - Brown Europlague is knocking". Volodymyr Yatsuba , head of Sevastopol administration, announced his resignation, citing the "decision of the city's inhabitants" made at a pro-Russian rally, and while caretaker city administration initially leaned towards recognition of new Ukrainian government, continued pressure from pro-Russian activists forced local authorities to concede. Consequently, Sevastopol City Council illegally elected Alexei Chaly ,

5307-428: The engine nozzles are controlled by four hydraulic actuators . The engine can be throttled from 47% to 100% of nominal thrust. The roots of the RD-180 rocket engine extend to the Soviet Energia launch vehicle. The RD-170, a four-chamber engine, was developed for use in the strap-on boosters for this vehicle, which ultimately launched the Buran orbiter . This engine was scaled down to a two-chamber version by combining

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5394-457: The engine supply, despite an uneven record of US–Russian relations since the Cold War . However, worsening relations between the West and Russia after March 2014 led to several self-imposed blockages, including a short-lived judicial injunction from the US courts that was unclear whether the scope of the US sanctions covered importing the Russian engine. On 13 May 2014, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin announced that "Russia will ban

5481-457: The events in the city as a coup. "Chaly represents the interests of the Kremlin which likely gave its tacit approval," he said. Sevastopol City State Administration chairman Vladimir Yatsuba was booed and heckled on 23 February, when he told a pro-Russian rally that Crimea was part of Ukraine. He resigned the next day. In Simferopol, the Regional State Administration building was blockaded with hundreds of protesters, including neo-Cossacks, demanding

5568-434: The first launch of the Atlas LV with RD-180), all 90 launches so far were recognized as successful. During the early 1990s, General Dynamics Space Systems Division (later purchased by Lockheed Martin ) acquired the rights to use the RD-180 in the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) and the Atlas program . As these programs were conceived to support United States Government launches, as well as commercial launches, it

5655-436: The government of Ukraine and Crimea deteriorated between 1992 and 1995. In May 1992 the regional parliament declared an independent "Crimean republic." In June 1992, the parties reached a compromise, that Crimea would have considerable autonomy but remain part of Ukraine. Yuri Meshkov , a leader of the Russian movement was elected President of Crimea in 1994 and his party won a majority in the regional parliamentary elections in

5742-460: The indigenous Crimean Tatars by the Soviet government, the Crimean ASSR was stripped of its autonomy in 1946 and downgraded to the status of an oblast of the Russian SFSR. In 1954, the Crimean Oblast was transferred from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Ukraine's union with Russia . In 1989, under Gorbachev 's perestroika ,

5829-612: The new launch vehicle booster. Dynetics and Aerojet Rocketdyne (AJR) also offered their AR1 hydrocarbon-fueled rocket engine as replacement of the RD-180. ULA CEO Tory Bruno said in early 2015 that both the AR-1 option and the US manufacture of the RD-180 by ULA under license were backup options to the primary option ULA was pursuing with the Blue Origin BE-4 engine. By March 2016, the US Air Force had signed development contracts with AJR and Blue Origin to fund development for both engines. The first Vulcan flight with new engines occurred in January 2024. As of May 25, 2020 (20 years since

5916-441: The other members of the G8 suspending Russia from the group and introducing sanctions . The United Nations General Assembly also rejected the referendum and annexation, adopting a resolution affirming the "territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders", and referring to the Russian action as a "temporary occupation". The Russian government opposes the "annexation" label, with Putin defending

6003-414: The passengers were killed in gruesome ways. The Verkhovna Rada of Crimea members called for an extraordinary meeting on 21 February. In response to Russian separatist sentiment, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said that it would "use severe measures to prevent any action taken against diminishing the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine". The party with the largest number of seats in

6090-405: The population in Crimea, and described it as a "real problem", given Russia's declared policy of military intervention abroad to protect Russian citizens. On 24 August 2009, anti-Ukrainian demonstrations were held in Crimea by ethnic Russian residents. Sergei Tsekov (of the Russian Bloc and then deputy speaker of the Crimean parliament ) said then that he hoped that Russia would treat Crimea

6177-426: The premier rocket manufacturing and testing facilities in the Western world. However, most of this land was used to provide safe buffer zones for Aerojet's testing and manufacturing operations. Later, as the need for these facilities and safety zones decreased, the property became available for other uses. Located 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Sacramento along U.S. Highway 50 , the properties were valuable, being in

6264-672: The previous main engine. This vehicle was later renamed the Atlas III . An additional development program was undertaken to certify the engine for use on the modular Common Core Booster primary stage of the Atlas V rocket . RD-180 was proposed to be used with a new family of Rus-M Russian space launch vehicles, proposed by Roskosmos contractors, but the program was canceled by the Russian Space Agency in October 2011. In March 2010, Jerry Grey,

6351-534: The pro-Russian movement, Kyiv's policy of avoiding escalation and the lack of active support from Russia. During the 1990s, the dispute over control of the Black Sea Fleet and Crimean naval facilities were source of tensions between Russia and Ukraine. In 1992, Vladimir Lukin , then chairman of the Russian Duma 's Committee on Foreign Affairs, suggested that in order to pressure Ukraine to give up its claim to

6438-492: The protection of churches, mosques, synagogues, and other important sites. By nightfall the Crimean Tatars had left; several hundred Russian Unity supporters rallied on. The new Ukrainian government 's acting Internal Affairs Minister Arsen Avakov tasked Crimean law enforcement agencies not to provoke conflicts and to do whatever necessary to prevent clashes with pro-Russian forces; and he added "I think, that way – through

6525-446: The referendum as complying with the principle of the self-determination of peoples. The names of the Crimean annexation vary. In Ukraine, the annexation is known as the temporary occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia ( Ukrainian : тимчасова окупація Автономної Республіки Крим і Севастополя Росією , romanized :  tymchasova okupatsiia Avtonomnoi Respubliky Krym i Sevastopolia Rosiieiu ),

6612-423: The rest were sitting in a warehouse. “We took early delivery, if you will, with the RD-180, so I can end that relationship and not be dependent upon [Russia] because that’s what Congress asked us to do”, he said. The 122 RD-180 engines from Energomash generated billions in revenue for Russia's space program. Several options for replacing the RD-180 on Atlas V were investigated, but ULA ultimately decided to replace

6699-489: The result of trade sanctions imposed after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . The combustion chambers of the RD-180 share a single turbopump unit, much like in its predecessor, the four-chambered RD-170 . The RD-180 is fueled by an RP-1 / LOX mixture and uses an extremely efficient, high-pressure staged combustion cycle . The engine runs with an oxidizer-to-fuel ratio of 2.72 and employs an oxygen-rich preburner, unlike typical fuel-rich US designs. The thermodynamics of

6786-464: The rocket with Vulcan Centaur instead. In February 2010, despite the availability of necessary documentation and legal rights for producing RD-180 in the United States, NASA was considering development of an indigenous core-stage engine that would be "capable of generating high levels of thrust approximately equal to or exceeding the performance of the Russian-built engine". NASA desired to produce

6873-486: The same way as it had treated South Ossetia and Abkhazia . Crimea is populated by an ethnic Russian majority and a minority of both ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars, and thus demographically possessed one of Ukraine's largest ethnically Russian populations. As early as in 2010, some analysts already speculated that the Russian government had irredentist plans. Taras Kuzio said that "Russia has an even more impossible time recognizing Ukraine's sovereignty over

6960-449: The same year. The pro-Russian movement was then weakened by internal disagreements and in March 1995 the Ukrainian government gained the upper hand. The office of the elected President of Crimea was abolished and a loyal head of region was installed instead of Meshkov; the 1992 constitution and a number of local laws were repealed. According to Gwendolyn Sasse the conflict was defused due to Crimea's multi-ethnic population, fractures within

7047-642: Was a backup plan to the new engine development work by ULA with Blue Origin on the BE-4 . In 2014, the Defense Department estimated that it would require approximately $ 1 billion and five years to begin US domestic manufacture of the RD-180 engine. Overall, by April 14, 2021 Energomash delivered 122 RD-180 rocket engines to the United States over more than 20 years. In an interview on August 26, 2021, ULA's CEO Tory Bruno said that three or four RD-180s were installed on Atlas V rockets for upcoming missions, and

7134-571: Was also arranged for the RD-180 to be co-produced by Pratt & Whitney . However, all production took place in Russia. The engine was sold by a joint venture between the Russian developer and producer of the engine NPO Energomash and Pratt & Whitney, called RD Amross . The RD-180 was first deployed on the Atlas IIA-R vehicle, which was the Atlas IIA vehicle with the Russian (hence the R) engine replacing

7221-458: Was appointed by the Rada to serve as the head of a caretaker government until new presidential and parliament elections could be held. This new government was recognised internationally. Russian government and propaganda have described these events as a " coup d'état " and have said that the caretaker government was illegitimate, while researchers consider the subsequent annexation of Crimea to be

7308-401: Was expected to save the company 29 million a year. In March 2008, hedge fund Steel Partners II, which owned 14% of GenCorp, Inc., made an agreement that saw Terry J. Hall step down as CEO and gave Steel Partners II control of three board seats plus the selection of the new CEO (who would also hold a board seat). Steel Partners II had previously attempted a hostile takeover in 2004, and forced

7395-520: Was formed in 2013 when Aerojet and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne were merged, following the latter's acquisition by GenCorp, Inc. from Pratt & Whitney . Aerojet Rocketdyne was acquired by L3Harris in July 2023 for $ 4.7 billion. Several decades after it began manufacturing rubber products, General Tire & Rubber diversified into broadcasting and aeronautics. In the 1940s, the Aerojet company began experimenting with various rocket designs. For

7482-674: Was reported that Aerojet Rocketdyne completed a keystone demonstration on a new X3 ion thruster , which is a central part of the XR-100 system for the NextSTEP program. The X3 ion thruster was designed by the University of Michigan and is being developed in partnership with the University of Michigan, NASA, and the Air Force. The X3 is a Hall-effect thruster operating at over 100 kW of power. During

7569-705: Was set up on the main highway between the city and Simferopol . On 27 February, unmarked Russian forces in cooperation with local nationalist paramilitaries took over the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol , with Russian special forces seizing the building of the Supreme Council of Crimea and the building of the Council of Ministers in Simferopol . Russian flags were raised over these buildings and barricades were erected outside them. Pro-Russian forces also occupied several localities in Kherson Oblast on

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