Also by sanctioning Russia, the US is pushing its space program into a difficult position.
Moscow may also retaliate against Washington's latest sanctions by cutting the number of rocket engines it sells to the US, given the US's inability to produce them itself.
Russia is currently supplying RD-180 rocket engines to NASA and the Pentagon, as the US has not found a reliable domestic replacement.
“We have ways to respond, if the US President is determined to do so (impose sanctions - PV). The response measures can target a number of sensitive areas, for example, specific projects,” said Senator Ryabukhin, including the RD-180 rocket engine.
The US has announced it will impose further sanctions on Russia, after determining that Moscow was responsible for the nerve agent attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK.
Russia could avoid sanctions by pledging not to use chemical weapons in the future, according to the US State Department.
According to Mr. Ryabukhin, the RD-180 engine is produced by the Energomash company (Russia), and can be used to launch both civilian and military satellites into orbit.
In 1997, Moscow and Washington signed an agreement to supply 101 RD-180 engines to the United States.
Two years ago, the US Congress issued a ban on the use of Russian-made engines after 2019. However, the ban was canceled after US lawmakers realized that they could not find a replacement.
Shortly thereafter, ULA – a joint venture owned by Lockheed Martin and Boeing – ordered 20 more engines from Energomash, which will be used in the Atlas V rocket. It was previously reported that ULA would continue to use Russian engines until 2028.
In addition to the RD-180, the US also purchased the RD-181 engine from Russia. The RD-181 engine is used for the Antares – the rocket that carries NASA's Cygnus cargo ship to the International Space Station.
