Raptor: SpaceX Reusable Combustion Engine That Powers The Starship Rocket

Keneci Network | @kenecifeed

The SpaceX Raptor engine is a full-flow staged combustion cycle engine that powers the Starship system. It is designed to be reusable and has twice the thrust of the Falcon 9 Merlin engine. Raptor uses sub-cooled liquid methane and liquid oxygen as propellants. Raptor 3 is the company's latest version.

Raptor Engine Specifications:

• • Diameter: 1.3 meter(m) or 2.3 meters

  • Height: 3.1 m or 4.6 m

  • Engine mass(Raptor 3): 1525 kilogram(kg)

  • Thrust: 230 tf / 507 klbf (sea-level), 258 tf / 568 klbf (vacuum), or 280 tf (Raptor 3)

  • Specific impulse: 350 s (Raptor 3), 330 s (sea-level), or 380 s (vacuum)

  • Thrust-to-weight ratio: 200, 120, or 183.6 (Raptor 3)

  • Propellant: LCH4 / LOX (methalox)

  • Cycle: Full-flow staged combustion

Main Raptor engine parts:

• • Turbopumps: The Raptor engine has two turbopumps, one for the fuel (methane) and one for the oxidizer (oxygen). The turbopumps are powered by the preburners.

  • Preburners: The Raptor engine has two preburners, one fuel-rich and one oxygen-rich. The preburners are used to power the turbopumps.

  • Combustion Chamber: The combustion chamber is where the fuel and oxidizer are mixed and burned to produce thrust.

  • Nozzle: The nozzle is used to accelerate the exhaust gases and produce thrust.

  • Ignition System: The Raptor engine uses a torch igniter system for ignition.

  • Heat Shield: The Raptor engine has a heat shield to protect it from the heat of re-entry.

Raptor 3 engine marks significant advancements in thrust, specific impulse, and mass efficiency compared to previous versions. It has potential to exceed 300 tons of thrust in future iterations, according to SpaceX.

Current versions of Raptor Engine:

• • Raptor 1: The first version of the Raptor engine, with a thrust of 185 tf (sea-level) and 200 tf (vacuum).

  • Raptor 2: The second version of the Raptor engine, with a thrust of 230 tf (sea-level) and 258 tf (vacuum).

  • Raptor 3: The third version of the Raptor engine, with a thrust of 280 tf (sea-level) and a specific impulse of 350 s.