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"2. Like the sort used on Antares?"

I think Paul McCartney was about 23 years old when the engines powering that Antares launch vehicle were fabricated in Russia in their race against the Americans to the moon. An antique liquid/liquid vs an inadequately qualified hybrid: no winners.

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I think they're a little newer than that, but that's a good point. Still, I'm not sure either engine was inadequately qualified.

I'm not sure what constitutes adequate qualification, though. Both engines were ground tested at least some. And in Virgin's case, this flight was one of tests.

> I think they're a little newer than that, but that's a good point.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NK-33 says the AJ-26 engines are from the 1960s and 1970s.

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