On August 9th Beijing time, Musk shared photos of the ignition of SpaceX's newly developed Raptor III engine on the X platform, as well as a comparison of three generations of Raptor series engines. It can be seen that compared to Raptor 1 and Raptor 2, the engine of Raptor 3 has been significantly simplified in appearance. The densely packed pipelines and hardware parts exposed outside, resembling hair, are missing, making it look much more aesthetically pleasing. Even Musk himself couldn't help but exclaim, "This is simply a work of art.
In addition, the upper part of the Raptor III engine turned white when ignited, which Musk claimed was because "this part was covered with ice".
Musk's comparison chart of the three generations of Falcon engines
The appearance is simple, the thrust is increased by 500000 tons compared to the second generation, and the weight is reduced by 1155 kilograms
The Raptor rocket engine is a power system designed by SpaceX to provide thrust for ultra heavy reusable spacecraft starships, and is one of the company's core technologies. Previously, several test flights of the starship relied on the Raptor rocket engine system consisting of 33 Raptor engines. In previous test flights, SpaceX could not guarantee the successful ignition of all Raptor engines, but some Raptor engines could at least ensure the success of the starship's first stage launch.
According to SpaceX's disclosed data, the thrust of Raptor 3 is 280tf (thrust unit), with a specific impulse of 350s and an engine mass of 1525 kilograms. The total weight of the engine, including side products and hardware, is 1720 kilograms. In contrast, Raptor 2 has a thrust of 230tf, a specific impulse of 347s, an engine mass of 1630 kilograms, and a total weight of 2875 kilograms.
It can be seen that the Raptor III not only has a higher appearance than its predecessor, but also is lighter and has stronger thrust. Especially its simplified operation of external hardware greatly reduces the total weight. However, SpaceX has not disclosed the specific technology in this regard.
Regarding the hardware that will be exposed externally, some foreign industry experts have commented that this indicates that SpaceX has integrated many previously scattered components into the interior of the Raptor 3 rocket, taking the concept of 'nothing is the best' to the extreme. Musk, on the other hand, responded to the comment "Versailles" by stating that SpaceX has the world's most advanced 3D metal printing technology, which is not well-known to many people and seems to reveal the secret of this "black technology" as 3D printing.
SpaceX stated that the Raptor 3 is designed for rapid reuse without the need for engine heat shields, while continuing to improve performance and manufacturability.
The ignition image responds to peer reviews, and the fifth test flight is ready
Ignition image of Raptor 3 engine
Previously, when SpaceX first exposed pictures of the Raptor III engine, the company's main competitor, Tory Bruno, CEO of the United Launch Alliance, commented on the Raptor III engine in a post, saying, "SpaceX is not wrong in making engine assembly simpler, but there is no need to exaggerate an engine that is not yet assembled, without controllers, fluid management, or TVC systems, and compare it to other engines
After today's ignition, SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell posted a photo of the ignition and humorously retorted, "For an engine that hasn't been assembled yet, it's running pretty well
In addition, while unveiling the Raptor III engine, SpaceX also announced on August 9th that the starship and super heavy rocket are ready for their fifth test flight and awaiting regulatory approval. During the waiting period for flight permission, additional booster capture tests and the sixth test flight are planned.
Previously, the first three test flights of the starship failed to achieve a soft landing, while the fourth test flight in June this year successfully landed in the Indian Ocean, completing all missions for the first time in history.
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