SpaceX Starship now has three Raptor engines installed

The Mars rocket of Elon Musk is really getting closer. Construction of the interplanetary vessel takes place in the SpaceX facilities in Boca Chica Texas and, after giving us preview of the fins of the prototype Monday, the CEO of SpaceX has drawn the curtain on the Starship Mk.1 equipped with three Raptor engines.

Raptor engines are monstrous liquid-liquid rocket engines that use methane and oxygen to propel SpaceX's future launchers. They will be used in SpaceX's next-generation rocket, which contains two stages: the first stage Super Heavy, which lifts it into orbit, and the second stage, the starship, which takes it through the void of space.

The Raptor engine has reached a milestone recently, Launch of the Starhopper prototype ship at an altitude of about 150 meters during a brief flight test. Musk tweeted on September 26 that the current prototype is "a pretty complex beast" but he expects it to be launched in "a month or two".

The CEO of SpaceX has discussed the requirements of the Raptor engine in the past, explaining why the proposed interplanetary spacecraft requires an engine capable of emitting at least 170 tons of force. Previous tests showed that a single engine reached 172 tons of power, but it was now pushing 200. The spacecraft will be attached to the top of the Super Heavy rocket, which will likely have up to 31 Raptor engines attached to it. its bottom. Crazy to think about it.

After sharing the rapid advances in the construction of Starship this week, Musk should discuss in more detail the progress of the prototype on Saturday, September 28 during a special event. The conference will mark the 11th anniversary of SpaceX's first orbit.