SpaceX has shared dramatic slow-motion footage exhibiting a Raptor engine powering down on the finish of a latest take a look at fireplace.

“Shutdown of a Raptor vacuum engine in sluggish movement,” SpaceX stated in a message accompanying the video (under), including that the engine’s nozzle “is sized to be used by Starship within the Earth’s higher environment and outer house, so operation at sea degree and low chamber pressures leads to move separation creating seen rings within the exhaust.”

Shutdown of a Raptor vacuum engine in sluggish movement. The engine’s nozzle is sized to be used by Starship within the Earth’s higher environment and outer house, so operation at sea degree and low chamber pressures leads to move separation creating seen rings within the exhaust pic.twitter.com/1Z42WIRnX7

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 10, 2024

SpaceX doesn’t say by how a lot the footage has been slowed, however the element seen within the exhaust means that it’s taking part in at approach under the actual velocity.

As SpaceX talked about, the Raptor engines energy the Starship spacecraft, which is at present beneath improvement. The Starship spacecraft has six engines — three Raptor engines for touchdown on Earth or one other planet, and three Raptor Vacuum (RVac) engines to be used within the vacuum of house, one in every of which options within the video.

The Tremendous Heavy rocket, which carries the spacecraft to orbit, is powered by 33 Raptor engines that collectively create a colossal — and record-breaking — 17 thousands and thousands kilos of thrust at launch. The engines themselves are powered by cryogenic liquid methane and liquid oxygen. You’ll be able to see the Raptors in motion throughout the Tremendous Heavy’s second take a look at launch, which came about in December forward of its most up-to-date flight in March.

The Raptor engines are extra highly effective than the Merlin engines utilized by SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket. The elevated energy is required for the sort of missions that SpaceX needs to make use of the Tremendous Heavy and Starship for as soon as the testing part is full. These embody transporting cargo and crew to the moon as a part of NASA’s Artemis program, and will even contain extra bold missions resembling the primary crewed flight to Mars, which might happen within the 2030s.

Editors’ Suggestions