SpaceX's NEW-GEN Raptor Engine just HUMILIATED the entire industry...

spacex Raptor 3 hasn't flown a mission but Elon Musk has already stunned everyone with the reveal of Raptor 4 it's promised to be the lightest sleekst yet most powerful rocket engine that SpaceX will unleash this decade with its new advanced design and technology Raptor 4 will push the boundaries of space exploration making interplanetary travel more feasible than ever before so what makes Raptor 4 a true breakthrough could it become the most powerful engine on the market let's dive in and find out on today's episode of AlphaTech space X is pushing Starship forward at an incredible speed the first version was fully built stacked with Superheavy and launched during the very first integrated test flight IF1 in April 2023 remarkably just six test flights later version two was ready and took off in flight 7 this past January one thing's for sure SpaceX is moving at lightning speed to conquer space but here's the thing a more advanced Starship requires more powerful engines as SpaceX looks toward future missions with heavier payloads and longer flights they need engines that can keep up and that's exactly what they're doing currently Starship version 2 uses the Raptor 2 engine delivering 230 tons of thrust at sea level and 258 tons in vacuum it's impressive but not enough for the more ambitious Starship version 3 to meet the demands of this next level design SpaceX introduced Raptor 3 unveiled in August 2024 this more refined engine offers 21% more thrust than Raptor 2 both at sea level and in vacuum the first flight using Raptor 3 for testing is expected later this year according to SpaceX the Raptor 3 engine can generate 280 tons of thrust but if SpaceX makes the adjustments Elon Musk hinted at on X in January the maximum thrust for Raptor 3 could go even higher he said it will be very difficult to get Raptor to 300 tons of thrust but not impossible the truth is whenever he says something is difficult he proves he can make it happen it won't be long before Raptor 3 goes from 280 tons to 300 tons of thrust but even though it's the most powerful engine SpaceX has built so far it's just a stepping stone for Raptor 4 which promises an insane 330 tons of thrust to break all limits here's the thing raptor 4 hasn't been released yet so where did this number come from well even though SpaceX hasn't officially announced details about Raptor 4 Elon Musk has dropped some important hints about what this engine could be in the future and if his vision comes true this engine could completely redefine rocket technology on April 7th last year during a speech to the entire SpaceX team and engineers Musk made a bold statement i think ultimately we'll probably aim to get the booster engines over 330 tons of thrust this ambitious statement suggests that SpaceX is relentlessly pursuing innovation and improving engine performance now let's take a closer look and predict what Raptor 4 might look like we don't have any images yet but if history tells us anything it's that every new Raptor gets cleaner and more refined remember how Raptor 1 had all those messy exposed fuel lines by the time we got to Raptor 3 it was way more streamlined so there's no doubt Raptor 4 will take that even further simpler and more efficient in terms of height the difference between them is hard to notice with the naked eye the three previously announced versions have nearly identical dimensions with a length of around 10 ft and a diameter of 4'3 in however later versions have gradually become slightly shorter specifically Raptor 2 stands between 9.8 and 10.2 ft tall while Raptor 3 is a bit shorter ranging from 9.5 to 9.8 ft if this trend continues Raptor 4 might be slightly more compact but the change won't be very noticeable of course it's not just the appearance and height raptor 4's weight is also expected to decrease significantly while still delivering even greater thrust the difference in weight between each version becomes most noticeable when comparing Raptor 2 and 3 while Raptor 2 weighs a hefty 4,365 lbs Raptor 3 comes in at just 3,365 lbs this significant reduction is thanks to SpaceX integrating regenerative cooling channels directly into the engine body and nozzle rather than using separate cooling tubes like in Raptor 1 and partially in Raptor 2 this eliminated hundreds of kg of piping and related components improving thermal efficiency additionally SpaceX has adopted more advanced materials such as improved stainless steel and leverage 3D printing techniques to enhance manufacturing these changes allow the engines to withstand extreme conditions with combustion chamber temperatures reaching 6,300° F and pressures exceeding 400 bar all while remaining lighter and more efficient so with Raptor 4 weight reduction is almost certain to be a priority given all the details I just shared do you think Raptor 4 has the potential to become the most powerful engine in the world well even if Raptor 4 is released it would be the most powerful engine out there though just one engine would still top it that is the Rocket F1 an incredibly powerful engine developed in 1955 it was used in the Saturn 5 rocket the iconic rocket that sent humans to the moon during the Apollo program when it comes to thrust power the difference is massive an F1 engine delivers twice the thrust of a Raptor 4 elon Musk claims his engine will reach 330 tons of force at sea level which is already impressive compared to other engines but here's the thing even that doesn't compare to the F1's 680 tons of force at sea level and a jaw-dropping 777 tons of force in vacuum the reason for this massive thrust is pretty simple the F1 engine is much bigger and heavier than the Raptor standing 19 ft tall and with a diameter of up to 12 ft this complex engine consumes a whopping 5,800 lb of fuel every second that's like burning through the entire fuel supply of a Boeing 747 in the blink of an eye besides its massive thrust and size the F1 falls short when compared to the Raptor 4 thanks to its compact design the Raptor offers a huge advantage in weight savings for the launch vehicle weighing only about 3,300 lb it's five times lighter than the F1 which helps optimize weight for deep space missions when it comes to specific impulse the Raptor 4 is expected to push the limits 350 seconds at sea level and 380 seconds in vacuum this is thanks to its full flow stage combustion cycle and lightweight methane fuel which make it far more efficient in contrast the F1 engine the powerhouse of the Saturn FE only managed 263 seconds at sea level and 304 seconds in vacuum its gas generator cycle and heavier RP1 fuel simply couldn't match the efficiency of Raptor this means that pound-for-pound Raptor extracts more thrust from every drop of fuel cutting down on mass and maximizing payload crucial for deep space missions like Artemis 3 assuming the Superheavy booster alone has 33 Raptor 4 engines its total thrust would reach nearly 11,000 tons of force in comparison Saturn 5 had three stages but its first stage only had five engines delivering a total of just 3,400 tons of force this means Starship's booster is far more powerful than Saturn 5 allowing it to lift much heavier payloads so if the F1 ever sent the Saturn FE to the moon the Raptor on Starship would do it many times better behind the immense power of SpaceX's engine lies a revolutionary leap in design and engineering innovations that push the boundaries of what's possible in rocket technology the first thing to mention is that the Raptor 4 engine would use a full flow stage combustion FFS Cycle which is a rare and highly complex design instead of burning fuel all at once like most engines it splits the process into two steps first methane and liquid oxygen are fed into two small combustion chambers called pre-burners one mixes more methane with less oxygen and the other mixes more oxygen with less methane the hot gases from these chambers are then pumped into the main combustion chamber where they burn completely at extremely high pressure up to 400 bar making it way more powerful than most other engines the result is that the Raptor engine uses all of its fuel wasting nothing delivering an incredible 2.9 million newtons of thrust and a higher efficiency than older designs oh and another thing that boosts efficiency is using methane as fuel compared to RP1 methane leaves behind way less carbon buildup so there's less chance of clogging in the FFSC cycle now when it comes to improvements one notable feature is the removal of external heat shields this is achieved by integrating cooling circuits directly into the engine structure these cooling circuits are embedded in key components like the combustion chamber nozzle and pre-burner allowing the engine to withstand extreme temperatures without the need for separate heat shields while also making the engine more compact in addition SpaceX has designed the next generation Raptor with fewer bolts and joints a significant improvement the new design reduces the number of separate components that need to be connected this is especially important for hot bolt joints which endure extreme temperatures during engine operation these joints are often weak points in rocket engines vulnerable to thermal stress leaks and failure by eliminating these joints the engine becomes more powerful and reliable fewer connection points mean fewer potential failure modes and a lower risk of leaks or structural weaknesses another improvement is reducing the risk of fuel leaks spacex may use higher strength materials such as titanium alloys or improve stainless steel for the fuel lines leading to the Raptor engines they could also redesign the pipes with thicker walls or add reinforcement rings to reduce the likelihood of deformation under vibration alternatively they might integrate active dampers or vibration absorbing liners into the piping system to absorb oscillations but in the end all these improvements are really just about making the engines reusable more times the main goal Elon Musk had when creating the Raptor engine was to make it super reusable so Starship could launch multiple times a day it's built with core tech like the stage combustion FFSC I mentioned earlier using liquid methane and liquid oxygen methane burns super clean with a carbon to hydrogen ratio of 1:4 which means it leaves almost no soot behind this makes it way easier to reuse without needing much cleaning between launches unlike the Merlin engine that uses kerosene and needs regular cleaning the closed cycle keeps all the gases from the pre-burners inside the system boosting pressure and getting over 99% efficiency while also preventing residue buildup which helps protect the engine over many cycles the integrated cooling system also reduces thermal wear all these upgrades mean Raptor 4 could be reused up to 50 times with plans to push that to 100 cutting costs increasing launch frequency and helping SpaceX take on future missions like using Starship as an orbital propellant depot for missions to the moon and Mars how to achieve success for SpaceX it's about constantly pushing everything to the limit experimenting with ideas no one has thought of before to identify problems and recently they've made a major change to the landing plan for Superheavy booster 14 in the upcoming flight how insane is this change and how important is it for SpaceX and the Starship program if you're a SpaceX fan you probably already know that in the upcoming Starship Flight 9 SpaceX has no plans to catch the Superheavy booster 15 instead they'll let it splash down into the ocean this decision has sparked some disappointment among fans and even speculation that SpaceX might be facing issues with reusing booster 14 making them hesitant to try again but honestly this is actually a smart move especially while Starship is still in development it allows SpaceX to protect their incredibly complex and expensive ground infrastructure while also giving them a chance to run important experiments on booster 14 the first Superheavy booster to be reused now flying again with 29 Raptor engines from a previous flight and three new Raptor engine if you're curious about this I've covered it in detail in my earlier videos so check those out to make sure you don't miss any interesting insights while just a few days ago we didn't know exactly what kind of testing SpaceX planned to carry out with the booster destined for a splashdown we now have some intriguing clues spacex recently conducted a small but telling test with booster 14 that gives us a glimpse of what's to come according to internal sources B14 will intentionally shut down one of its three center engines during the landing burn meaning it will rely on just two engines to slow down and attempt a soft splashdown so why is SpaceX doing this and how exactly will the test work before answering that let's first take a closer look at how ocean landings usually happen for Superheavy in the early days of the Starship program before the Mechazilla Tower's catch system was operational SpaceX explored sea landings for Super Heavy these landings targeted a virtual landing pad at C simulating the same trajectory and descent profile as a groundbased landing just without the need to catch the rocket with chopsticks here's how it typically works after stage separation the booster begins a controlled descent reigniting its engines to slow down and guide itself to a precise splash down point during re-entry large metal grid fins help stabilize and steer the rocket then all 13 central and inner engines are ignited to reduce speed once the vehicle is under control the outer engines are shut off leaving just three center engines to perform the final landing burn correcting trajectory and adjusting velocity in the last moments before impact this makes it clear how critical those three engines are for a successful descent but in flight 9 SpaceX plans to simulate an engine out scenario by deliberately disabling one of the three engines during the final burn by reducing the number of active engines to just two an unprecedented move for a rocket of this scale SpaceX is pushing the limits of its design the goal is to test whether the booster can still safely land even with one engine offline a situation that could realistically occur due to mechanical failures fuel issues or unforeseen challenges if the test goes well the data gathered could validate a redundant landing configuration meaning SpaceX could proceed with a landing even if an engine fails rather than aborting and diverting to a splashdown engine out capability is critical for any rocket meant to carry humans or high-v value cargo it ensures that even if something goes wrong the mission can still succeed this is especially important as SpaceX moves closer to routinely catching Starship boosters with the Meazilla tower in those scenarios any in-flight engine issue could threaten not just the mission but also the expensive launch infrastructure on the ground so if booster 14 can pull off a successful splashdown using just two engines in Starship Flight 9 it would be a huge win it would demonstrate that the Superheavy booster has strong safety margins boosting confidence in its reliability for NASA's Aremis program which will use Starship to land astronauts on the moon and Elon Musk's bigger vision of colonizing Mars all in all this engine out test may seem like a small detail but it could play a major role in proving that Starship is ready for the next giant leap however while this test is an exciting demonstration and offers extremely valuable lessons for SpaceX it doesn't come without risks the Super Heavy's landing process is already a delicate ballet of precision with tower catches demanding exact timing and control reducing the number of landing engines significantly raises the difficulty as the booster must maintain stability and decelerate with much less thrust previous flights have shown SpaceX's capability to catch the booster successfully with three consecutive successful catches prior to flight 9 but this new variable could expose weaknesses in the current design or alternatively showcase its resilience by zeroing in on the booster's capabilities in this test SpaceX may be working to strengthen one segment of the system while engineers separately tackle issues related to propulsion and structure on the upper stage additionally this test also seems partly motivated by issues seen in flight seven and 8 in flight 8 one of Superheavyy's engines failed to relight completely fortunately it was one of the outer ring engines but if a similar failure had occurred in one of the three center landing engines the outcome could have been far worse testing this scenario now in a controlled ocean environment is a smart move it's also worth noting that this might be booster 14's final mission as a test article after contributing valuable landing data it's now being pushed to the limits of what the system can handle meanwhile S35 the spacecraft paired with B14 is also playing a critical role since the ship has fewer engines than Super Heavy each one carries more weight in ensuring mission success any failure here would have an even greater impact making thorough testing and improving reliability a top priority s35 like B14 has faced delays due to engine issues and those concerns are now under the spotlight spacex has acknowledged that ignition system problems were at least partly responsible for earlier flight issues in response they've upgraded and refined the ignition hardware and those improvements are now being validated on both B14 and S35 in short this test shutting down one Raptor engine during landing is a highstakes demonstration of SpaceX's confidence in its technology but it also highlights the inherently experimental nature of the Starship program a successful result could accelerate progress toward operational missions while any failure would likely lead to even more improvements either way Starship Flight 9 promises to be a pivotal moment in SpaceX's quest to revolutionize space travel showcasing the resilience of a rocket designed to take humanity farther than ever before on another front SpaceX is facing environmental challenges when it comes to the future launches of Starship the US military is considering Johnston ATL a remote Pacific island chain that serves as an important refuge for dozens of seabird species for two commercial rocket landing pads to test giant cargo rocket landings for the Department of the Air Force's DASF rocket cargo vanguard program and it's getting push back from environmentalists the rocket cargo vanguard program aims to develop the technologies required to rapidly deliver up to 100 tons of cargo anywhere on Earth using commercial rockets though not explicitly named Elon Musk's Space X is currently the only company commercial or otherwise capable of manufacturing rockets designed for landing and reuse and its Starship Mega rocket is DAV's leading contender the Air Force outlined its plans in a Federal Registry notice last month objections from the American Bird Conservancy ABC however may hinder plans for the new landing pads on the South Pacific at Johnston at lies about 825 m 1,325 km southwest of Hawaii and is home to several different species of seabirds including the largest known colony of redtailed tropic birds it was designated a refuge for native bird populations in 1926 but suffered environmental degradation through 2004 due to its use by the US military as a nuclear weapons testing and chemical weapons disposal site since the military's departure from the islands restoration efforts have helped raise Johnston at bird population back to nearly 1.5 million now critics say the planned new rocket infrastructure could undo decades of conservation work installing rocket landing pads on Johnston atal cannot occur without significantly disrupting wildlife said ABC president Michael Parr in a statement daff has stated that environmental reviews will be conducted before any operations move forward but ABC says it's not enough abc says the islands have become a crucial nesting habitat since the military's 2004 departure seabirds fly for thousands of miles across open water to reach Johnston atole which sits alone amidst more than 570,000 square miles of ocean often times the ABC says it is the only land these birds see in their entire lives the proposed 10 rocket landings per year would pose serious ecological risks including hazardous debris contamination noise pollution and other impacts from potential failures and explosions it says in the ABC statement adding "Opening Johnston's airirstrip to planes would destroy the ground nesting seabird colonies that have reclaimed the entire runway." ABC expects the DAV to issue a draft finding of no significant impact in the near future but believes the study will overlook the possible major impacts on the region's bird populations instead they are requesting the DAFF prepare a full environmental impact statement to better assess the potential hazards posed by the project starship is SpaceX's newest rocket under development and currently stands as the world's largest most powerful launch vehicle the company began orbital flight tests of the mega rocket in April 2023 with a mostly steady progression of milestones over the course of eight launches its last two though which launched a taller upgraded version of Starship's upper stage have stinted that progress with both flights ending in the unexpected loss of the vehicle during ascent spacex has already faced environmental scrutiny over its Starbase test site near Bokeh Chica Beach in South Texas where it manufactures and launches Starship from a facility surrounded by other dedicated wildlife areas past launches have sparked legal action and criticisms from environmentalists there as well spacex has designed Starship to be fully reusable and capable of carrying both crew and cargo to Earth orbit the moon and eventually Mars it's built for highcapacity rapid turnaround space flight and is central to SpaceX's long-term vision to make human life interplanetary beyond commercial and military applications NASA has contracted a version of Starship under its human landing system program to serve as one of the lunar landers for the AY's Aremis program which aims to return astronauts to the moon's surface later this decade it is slated to land the first Artemis astronauts on the moon on the Aremis 3 mission no earlier than 2027 that's all for today's episode thank you so much for watching and see you next time