VD - 1 ▁produces ▁a ▁thrust ▁of ▁ 7 . 5 ▁t onnes . ▁ ▁Initial ▁Development ▁K VD - 1 ▁was ▁origin ated ▁from ▁the ▁R D - 5 6 ▁engine ▁which ▁were ▁intended ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁for ▁USS R ▁Moon ▁program mes . ▁R D - 5 6 ▁a ka ▁ 1 1 D 5 6 ▁engines ▁were ▁developed ▁for ▁N 1 M ▁ro cket ▁programme , ▁the ▁planned ▁derivative ▁of ▁N 1 , ▁but ▁later ▁they ▁were ▁abandoned ▁due ▁to ▁four ▁success ive ▁launch ▁fail ures ▁of ▁N 1 . ▁Later ▁the ▁design ▁of ▁the ▁engine ▁was ▁sold ▁to ▁IS RO ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁" K VD - 1 " ▁under ▁a ▁deal ▁worth ▁$ 1 2 0 ▁million ▁ ▁with ▁sovi et ▁ag ency ▁G lav k os mos ▁which ▁enabled ▁IS RO ▁to ▁import ▁ 2 ▁K VD - 1 ▁engines ▁and ▁an ▁agreement ▁for ▁transfer ▁of ▁technology ▁from ▁Russia . ▁ ▁IS RO ▁Program me ▁ ▁The ▁engines ▁were ▁proven ▁to ▁be ▁in efficient ▁because ▁of ▁their ▁low ▁thrust - to - weight ▁ratio . ▁Later ▁the ▁Russian ▁space ▁ag ency ▁optim ised ▁the ▁engine ▁to ▁launch ▁pay loads ▁with ▁a ▁mass ▁of ▁ 2 . 5 ▁t onnes ▁or ▁less . ▁The ▁IN S AT - 4 CR ▁satellite ▁with ▁a ▁mass ▁of ▁ 2 , 1 4 0   kg ▁was ▁launched ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁but ▁reached ▁a ▁lower ▁than ▁planned ▁orbit ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁poor ▁performance ▁of ▁the ▁third ▁stage '