Annotation: Specialized design office for liquid engines was established on July 22, 1958 to develop engines and propulsion systems, powered by liquid propellants to be installed on the combat missile systems and integrated launch vehicles (LV), developed by Yuzhnoye SDO. Moreover, liquid engines design office was assigned with manufacturing and testing of the main rocket engines, developed by NPO Energomash and to be installed on Yuzhnoye-developed launch vehicles. Over the past 66 years Yuzhnoye SDO has developed more than 40 liquid rocket engines (LRE) of various purpose, designed both to gas-generator cycle and to staged combustion cycle. Seventeen of them were commercially produced by Yuzhmash PA and installed on launch vehicles. Nowadays Yuzhnoye propulsion experts keep working on development of the advanced liquid rocket engines powered both by cryogenic and hypergolic propellants, which satisfy the majority of launch service market demands. Within the framework of extensive cooperation with foreign space companies, on a contract basis, Yuzhnoye propulsion experts are working on the design and development testing of the liquid rocket engines, as well as their components. The accumulated vast experience in the development of liquid rocket engines nowadays enables high scientific and technical level in the creation of up-to-date engines, demanded in the world market. Significant steps in this area have been made by the experts from the Yuzhnoye propulsion division and then subsequent manufacture and delivery by Yuzhmash PA of the engine intended for the European rocket Vega Stage 4; and designing the individual components for the engines with thrusts ranging from 500 kgf to 200 tf ordered by foreign customers. This article provides the review of current and scheduled activities of the Yuzhnoye SDO to develop the liquid rocket engines within the thrust ranges from ~ 40 kgf to ~ 500 tf.

Annotation: The article presents the experience of creating LRE turbopump units by the Rocket Engines Design Office (DO-4) at Yuzhnoye SDO. The best known turbopump units designs developed by DO are described. Both earlier developments of DO and the turbopump unit being now in final testing phase are considered. The design evolution of both separate assemblies and of entire unit is shown. The design evolution allowed increasing the unit’s lifetime dozens times. For example, the lifetime of the first turbopump units developed by DO did not exceed 150 s. Currently, the DO has in stock the engines with lifetime of ~19000 s. The information is presented on the problems that the designers faced in testing the turbopumop unit and the ways to solve them. The unique achievement are presented. At present, there are no analogs of some units in the world. The article presents the information on the latest achievements of DO, such as the face seal on pump vane discs whose use fully excludes unwanted leaks. Having analyzed the data presented, one may conclude that the Rocket Engines Design Office and Yuzhnoye SDO as a whole accumulated sufficient experience and knowledge allowing solving any problems that may arise when developing a new LRE turbopump unit, and successfully operating LRE with turbopump units, including those in the engines with generator gas afterburning created in recent years testify to a great value of accumulated experience.

Annotation: During 60 years of existence of specialized Liquid Rocket Engines Design Office – DO-4 as a part of Yuzhnoye Design Office, extensive experience was accumulated in development of liquid rocket engines of various purpose on storable and cryogenic propellant components. The required test benches and production base were created. When developing the engines, the DO-4 specialists widely use the experience accumulated during manufacturing and testing of the engines developed by the other design offices for Yuzhnoye SDO LVs that were manufactured by SE PA Yuzhny Machine-Building Plant and tested at Yuzhnoye SDO’s and Plant’s test benches. Along with the conventional ones, new original engine designs were developed to achieve high energy-mass characteristics, reliability and quality. Among them we should mention the RD858 and RD859 engines for the soviet lunar take-off-and –landing module of Block E, the unique RD857 and RD862 engines with afterburning of reducing generator gas and gas dynamic method of thrust vector control, the RD866 multifunctional engine of space tug ensuring multiple ignition in flight, and many others. At present, Yuzhnoye SDO jointly with SE PA Yuzhny Machine-Building Plant deliver the engine for the European Vega LV forth stage propulsion system under the contract with Avio company (Italy). Based on Yuzhnoye SDO–created engines, propulsions systems for ballistic missiles and space rockets that are unique by their characteristics and scope of functions, the engines, propulsions systems for spacecraft, LV upper stages and transfer orbit stages can be developed in short terms and at minimal costs.

Annotation: The paper presents Yuzhnoye SDO experience in operating the workable models of rocket propellant vapors and water solutions thermal neutralization units. The processes going on in the thermal neutralization chamber are described. The neutralization unit design modernization is considered. The prospects for neutralization units improvement are defined.