absolutely incredible in less than a
year we're once again witnessing the awe
inspiring performance of the world's
Premier rocket engine space AIS Raptor
similar to its previous outing in
Starship flight 3 the Raptor engine
continued to achieve significant
Milestones many of which were
unprecedented in the realm of rocket
propulsion however the journey of rocket
engine development has never been
without its challenges despite its
remarkable achievements new significant
issues arose with the Raptor during this
flight presenting SpaceX with additional
hurdles to overcome so on today's
episode of great SpaceX let's delve into
the recent advancements of the Raptor
engine and explore the challenges that
SpaceX will need to address in the
future to further enhance this
remarkable propulsion system a few
months ago during the if2 flight the
super heavy booster made significant
strides by activating all 33 engines
simultaneously for the first time this
feat generated unprecedented thrust and
resulted in the formation of the mock
Diamond effect marking a pivotal
advancement for Starship compared to the
if1 flight however following the
separation process the booster engines
encountered issues ultimately leading to
the explosion of booster B9 shortly
after its Detachment from s25 drawing
from this experience SpaceX swiftly
implemented numerous upgrades to the
engine system crucial components such as
the igniter underwent enhancements to
bolster reliability during operation
Additionally the TVC Electric System was
introduced to replace the hydraulic unit
system furthermore upgrades to the
baffles inside the booster were
implemented to mitigate fuel sloshing
which was identified as a primary Factor
contributing to engine problems during
the if2 flight these upgrades formed the
foundation of spacex's confidence in
significant progress for the subsequent
flight and the majority of their
expectations have been realized this
demonstrates spacex's unwavering
commitment to continuous Improvement and
their ability to learn from past
experiences to propel their technology
forward first and foremost mirroring the
if2 flight booster B10 ascended with all
33 engines firing further solidifying
starship's status as the rocket boasting
the most potent liftoff thrust to date
double the power of the legendary Saturn
5 rocket this remarkable capability once
again showcased the prowess of the 33
Raptor engines culminating in the
creation of a spectacular mock Diamond a
rare phenomenon in the realm of rocketry
for those unfamiliar the mock Diamond
phenomenon arises from the pressure
disparity between the expanding engine
exhaust and the Sur rounding environment
resulting in shock waves at oblique
angles to the energy flow typically
observed in jet aircraft due to their
high performance capabilities enabling
rapid flight the constant appearance of
low pressure air flows Fosters the
formation of mock Diamond chains however
starship's consistent generation of this
phenomenon underscores the sheer power
of the Raptor engine notably while
conventional principles dictate that
each engine would produce its own mock
Diamond the 33 Raptor engines seamless
ly Amalgamated to form a singular
colossal mock Diamond an unexpected feat
in the Aerospace Community this
exceptional display further elevates the
awe inspiring spectacle of the Starship
flight garnering admiration and acclaim
from Aerospace enthusiasts worldwide
another critical objective SpaceX had
set for the Raptor engine in this flight
was to enhance its operational control
capabilities as previously mentioned the
Raptor engines and booster B9
encountered numerous issues during
Flight 2 resulting in its eventual
explosion shortly after separation
consequently increasing engine
reliability became a Paramount goal for
SpaceX in this flight and their efforts
have proven effective following the
separation around t plus 2 minutes 52
seconds the 10 engines in the middle
ring reignited accompanied by the
activation of three inner gimbal engines
to facilitate precise control of the
booster during the landing process these
engines were then successfully shut down
as planned during the transonic phase
this significant Improvement in engine
reliability over just a few months
allowed the booster to operate for an
extended duration in Flight laying the
groundwork for SpaceX to express
confidence in the success of subsequent
flights simultaneously the engines on
the Starship operated with remarkable
stability from activation for separation
to shutdown to facilitate subsequent
tasks in orbit however the inspace
relight engine demonstration scheduled
around t plus 40 minutes 46 seconds was
unfortunately canceled to ding us of the
opportunity to witness the next
capabilities of the Starship engines
nonetheless it's evident that the
steadfast performance of the engines on
the Starship significantly contributed
to the advancements made during this
flight however it's essential to
acknowledge that the Raptor engine has
not yet attained absolute perfection
according to the timeline around t plus
6 minutes 46 the booster engines were
slated to reactivate after the transonic
stage to to initiate the landing process
however observers noted a delay of
nearly 10 seconds before this occurred
furthermore only three engines
comprising one inner gimbal engine and
two middle engines resumed operation
unfortunately the two middle engines
ceased functioning one by one shortly
thereafter consequently The Descent
speed of the booster remained relatively
High during Landing visibly perceptible
to onlookers at the planned start of the
booster's landing burn its speed still
hovered around 2,000 km per hour or 555
m/ second even after the activation of
the three engines the speed was reduced
to approximately 1200 kmph or 333 m/s
remarkably prior to losing connection at
an altitude of less than 1 km the
booster's speed remained as high as
1,112 kmph or
38.9 m/s significantly exceeding the
ideal speed for a soft Landing
consequently the booster exploded less
than 500 M from the ocean surface it's
evident that SpaceX will need to address
these challenges promptly with future
iterations of the Raptor engine aiming
to enhance the capability of stages to
land safely at sea or through the
utilization of the mechazilla arm in
subsequent missions hence SpaceX still
faces a considerable amount of work
ahead their primary focus should be on
upgrading the Raptor engine to achieve
new milestones in addition to
maintaining current capabilities
addressing the issue of the engine rea
activation stage which led to the recent
failure with booster B10 is Paramount
this Improvement will be critical for
the success of future missions
particularly the lunar Artemis Mission
which demands Flawless performance
furthermore SpaceX might consider
gradually transitioning to rapor 3 this
version has undergone testing and
Exhibits remarkable parameters utilizing
this new iteration would significantly
enhance both the power and reliability
of the Starship engine lastly SpaceX
must prioritize the development of of
production and testing systems for the
Raptor engine they are currently making
progress with the star Factory and
constructing numerous test systems at
the Massie test site these systems will
play a vital role in enabling SpaceX to
meet the ambitious launch frequency
goals they have set nevertheless the
progress of the Raptor engine
underscores its superiority over
competitors particularly blue Origins
be4 engine in January the be4 showcased
a commendable debut during the Vulcan
Centaur flight exhibiting Flawless
performance without encountering any
apparent issues this successful
performance on its Maiden launch
highlights the impressive capabilities
of the be4 posing a significant
challenge to spacex's Raptor however
SpaceX has demonstrated resilience and
Innovation by achieving Feats that other
engines including the be4 have not
notably while the be4 and the Vulcan
stage did not attempt any Landing
Maneuvers SpaceX showcased the Raptor's
engine control capabilities through
precise control shutdown and
reactivation processes during flight
although not Flawless these operations
are pivotal for Rockets to achieve
ambitious objectives such as lunar or
Mars missions moreover the Raptor's
power surpasses that of the be4 while
each individual be4 engine may be more
powerful than a single Raptor spacex's
design optimization allows for the
integration of up to 33 engines for the
first stage a feat unattainable with the
current be4 design employed by Vulcan or
new Glenn this comparison highlights the
Simplicity championed by Elon Musk and
his team demonstrating the effectiveness
of spacex's approach furthermore the
Raptor's Simplicity not only enhances
its design optimization but also
facilitates faster and more
cost-effective production compared to
the be4 SpaceX can currently produce one
Raptor engine per day for just a million
us a rate expect to increase even
further in mass production in contrast
the be e4's slower production rate has
resulted in Mission delays for blue
origin and its partners with the
engine's current cost standing at $7
million a significantly higher price
point than the Raptor these comparisons
firmly establish the Raptor as the
premier engine in the world in tandem
with other SpaceX systems the Raptor
engine is steadily evolving growing more
robust with each passing day across its
design testing and operational phases
continual improvements are being made
the drive to propel Humanity towards
life on Mars and the dawn of a
multiplanetary civilization burns
brighter than ever before now is the
moment to contemplate the new world that
awaits Us in the years to come well
folks that's about it for today's
episode thank you so much for tuning in
and as always this is Kevin from great
SpaceX and until next time keep looking
up
