SpaceX upgrades everything on Raptor Engines is totally thrilling Scientist's minds...

So it's really a spectacular piece of engineering, extremely difficult to do and succeed. This engine has been incredibly difficult, but I mean it's essential, obviously, for Starship to work. This is definitely why SpaceX must continually change. went from the version of

raptor

used in Star Hopper sn5 sn6 sn8 sn9 sn10 and sn11 Raptor version 1.0 to the version of

raptor

used in sn15 s20 and B4 Raptor version 1.5 to the next generation of raptor Raptor 2. the new version definitely a Lots of performance and reliability improvements that

scientist

s are

totally

excited about. Minds, what are those crazy updates? In today's episode of alpha Tech, while Raptor 1 has been refined over the years, it is now an old design, complex in construction, difficult to manufacture and has long lead times between launches, it has also reached a thrust ceiling of 185 tons, which means it will have a difficult time reaching Elon.

Musk's demand for a Starship destined for Mars Spacex's solution is the Raptor 2, an engine capable of taking us to Mars and beyond. This is not just an updated Raptor, but an entirely new design from the ground up that can outperform its predecessor in every measurable metric. but first let's look at the similarities Super Steel SpaceX Cass Raptor Engine Parts Canal alloys are a family of austintic nickel-chromium based super alloys Canal alloys are heat and oxidation resistant materials and Canal has been used for more 60 years in rockets and space. aircraft with which the skin of the X-15 rocket-powered aircraft was made on Channel 10 the X-15 first flew in 1959. on Channel From the Saturn V, the space shuttle used four Channel bolts to secure the solid rocket boosters to the launch pad, eight bolts in total supported the entire weight of the flight-ready shuttle system.

SpaceX uses Canal and the manifold for its Merlin and Falcon rocket

engines

. 9 and the SpaceX super Draco rocket engine for the Dragon V2, there is no information to suggest these have changed significantly between Raptor 1 and Raptor 2. The engine relies on a small amount of 3D printing, however, SpaceX is trying to eliminate as much 3D printing as possible. possible due to inability to scale high cost and low manufacturing rate. The Raptor uses methane and liquid oxygen fuel, making it one of the cleanest-burning rockets available thanks to these high-thrust, precise acceleration, and gimbal-capable

engines

. SpaceX has been a pioneer in self-landing rockets.

Raptor 2 is still a liquid oxygen and methane engine, but that's where the similarities end. In early 2022, the first Raptor 2 was seen marking the end of Raptor 1 after production of Raptor 1 began. SpaceX stopped producing all Raptor 1.5 engines compared to the original Raptor 2 looking nearly incomplete, A large number of pipes and sensors have been removed, transitioning the engine from a Christmas tree appearance to a significantly cleaner appearance in the original version of Raptor, while SpaceX was learning how to control the engine, a large amount was needed Development sensors allowed them to track pressure and temperature throughout Raptor's plumbing; in addition, many valves were combined into valve plates, which helped further simplify plumbing by eliminating a large number of these components.

SpaceX has made the engine more fire and heat resistant, a clear step toward SpaceX's goal of removing the entire engine shroud. of the propellant which would decrease the mass of the propellant by around six tons is a clear example of musk the best part is the mantra without part another change made to Raptor 2 to further decrease the mass of the engine is the removal of the torch igniters in the main combustion chamber instead of relying on redundant torch igniters, the well-mixed hot oxygen gas and hot CH4 gas act hypergolicly under the high temperature and pressure of the main combustion chamber or Raptor 2 MCCs.

They are also welded together, effectively reducing the number of components needed. The engines are more compact, lighter, and easier to manufacture than the Raptor 1, which uses flanges to literally bolt the engine on. The Raptor 2 also has fewer flanges than the original versions of the Raptor flanges, they are great during prototyping when parts need to be changed, but they add mass. and increase pressure loss throughout the engine now that the design is more stable. SpaceX has been able to remove many flanges from the engine, even hoping to remove all flanges from the Raptor 2.5, which will further increase thrust to 250 tons and debut 2 on the booster. 12.

Finally, the Raptor 2's pre-burner controls are no longer spread throughout the engine like on a Raptor 1. Instead, they are in their own box. This simplification makes manufacturing easier and means the cover can be removed, allowing for more movement and gimbal. engines, so what do all these changes add up to? Well, the Raptor 2 has already produced 247 tons of thrust during static tests and engineers are confident that they will reach 250 very soon. That's a 35 percent increase in thrust from a smaller, lighter engine. This will allow any Raptor that equips a rocket to have a dramatically larger payload, but it doesn't stop there thanks to Raptor 2 Simplicity, it can be relaunched within an hour compared to Raptor 1, which required several weeks between launches.

Simplicity also means that Raptor 2 costs half as much. Both the manufacturer and the Raptor won to say that this engine is innovative, it is an understatement, the impact of Raptor 2 will be a look at Elon Musk's ultimate goal of colonizing Mars thanks to the rapid change of operation of Raptor 2, a small fleet of spacecraft equipped with Raptor 2. several times a week, this means that SpaceX could launch more payloads into space in a year than the United States has done in its entire history. The dramatic increase in annual payload capacity is what will allow SpaceX to colonize Mars.

Musk estimates that a total of 1 million tons of payload will be needed. In theory, it would be necessary to establish a self-sustaining colony on Mars. Spacecraft equipped with Raptor 2 could take as much to Mars in just 10 years with about 20 launches per week, meaning only about a thousand Raptors will be needed to equip fully functioning spacecraft. -It's a decade long to colonize Mars, as you can imagine, this will cost a lot, but that's where the Raptor 2 really shines. A spacecraft equipped with Raptor 2 is estimated to cost only 2 million per launch compared to the SLS from NASA, which costs about 15 percent. smaller payload and would cost around 1.55 billion to over 2 billion per launch from some perspective, Musk's hypothetical 10-year Mars colonization project would cost 2.08 billion a year, which is the cost of an SLS launch or to put it another way, Starship is 1040 times smaller than the SLS is just a reminder that the SLS is no slouch, it is a cutting edge rocket designed by NASA's best, it's just that Starship and its Raptor 2 engine are in another league.

Starship could truly unlock the Moon, Mars, and the asteroid belt for further human exploration and colonization with such an impressive payload, low launch cost, and rapid response. Starship could also significantly impact Earth, as Raptor 2 can run on carbon-neutral biofuel. Starship could, in theory, be the world's first Net Zero rocket to be combined with the impressive landing. Leo or low Earth orbit capacity and payload of more than 150 tons and has a possible replacement for commercial aircraft. Starship would take 29 minutes to go from London to New York and only twice as long as a regular first class ticket per passenger.

This service wouldn't be practical with the long turnaround times of Raptor One, but a fleet of Raptor 2-equipped spacecraft could easily transport passengers to and from without massive delays, so thanks to Raptor 2, SpaceX could also revolutionize aviation and that almost concludes today's episode. Don't forget to share your ideas in the comments section below. Everyone's comments and support are a motivation for us to create more quality content. Thank you and see you next time abroad.