Great Wall Industry, the Chinese space launch company, is negotiating with Russia’s top rocket maker to procure sensitive engine technology, highlighting the deepening aerospace ties between the two countries that have sparked concerns in Washington.
Russia’s leading rocket engine manufacturer, NPO Energomash, confirmed to the FT on Wednesday that the talks were taking place, although attempts to reach Great Wall Industries were unsuccessful. China’s National Space Administration also declined to comment.
Energomash’s engine, the RD-180, is so highly rated that it is used by the US for its own satellite launches — a curious exception to Washington’s sanctions on Russia implemented following the 2014 invasion of Crimea.