SpaceX/Twitter

INNOVATION

SpaceX is building one next-gen Raptor engine every day ahead of Starship launch

BY CHRIS YOUNG
SpaceX/Twitter
solarseven/iStock

INNOVATION

NASA deputy associate administrator Mark Kirasich spoke highly of SpaceX's progress on Starship in a subcommittee meeting of NASA's Advisory Council on Monday, October 31.

INNOVATION

SpaceX/Twitter

"We've seen them manufacture what was called Raptor 1.0. They have since upgraded to Raptor 2.0 that first of all increases performance and thrust and secondly reduces the amount of parts, reducing the amount of time to manufacture and test. They build these things very fast. Their goal was seven engines a week, and they hit that about a quarter ago. So they are now building seven engines a week."

-MARK KIRASICH, NASA DEPUTY ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR

INNOVATION

SpaceX
solarseven/iStock
 solarseven/iStock
 solarseven/iStock



SpaceX will use 33 Raptor engines to power the Super Heavy booster that serves as the Starship launch system's first stage, while another six will power the upper stage.

INNOVATION

NASA



For NASA's moon mission, Starship will have to re-light the first stage's engines to launch astronauts off the moon.

INNOVATION

Forest Katsch



To put that impressive manufacturing speed into perspective, NASA awarded startup Aerojet Rocketdyne a contract worth $1.16 billion in 2015 to restart the production line for the RS-25 engine for its Space Launch System.

INNOVATION


The RS-25 produces approximately 510,000 pounds of thrust, which is practically the same as SpaceX's Raptor 2 engine.

Aerojet Rocketdyne

INNOVATION


The goal for Aerojet Rocketdyne, as set out in the terms of NASA's contract, was to produce four RS-25 engines per year.

NASA

STAY UP-TO-DATE ON THE LATEST ENGINEERING NEWS

SWIPE UP TO GET STARTED

 Learn more