3 ms·

The pics / tests are absolutely not a tabletop version. Here's Musk's pic from the test: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/780275236922994688 https://twitte

The pics / tests are absolutely not a tabletop version. Here's Musk's pic from the test: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/780275236922994688 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/780275236922994688 You can see a staircase to the bottom-right, and the railing on the left side (if built to code) is likely 38" tall. It looks like the nozzle is roughly a meter across. Edit: This one shows the scale a bit better: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/780278836860628992 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/780278836860628992 Further edit: Everyone is rightly pointing out that it's not a huge engine, but two things to keep in mind.. Musk's ISP figures correspond to operating in a vacuum and of course at that point the bell will be significantly larger (14ft like mentioned). If used for the first stage, the Raptors will likely have similar-sized bells to the current Merlin engines. The bell is just the expansion chamber and doesn't really relate to the actual engine size (except of course to optimize expansion ratio). The shuttle engines weren't huge, but the bells were quite large, I think the expectation is that the Raptor will be between 1/2 and 1/4 of the Shuttle engine size/weight: http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site200/2012/0921/20120921__shuttle_engine_01.JPG http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site200/2012/092...

Retric 10y ago
That's still rather small. For scale here is some of the shuttle's engines for comparison. http://guard-lee.com/img/SpaceShuttleAtlantis.ssme.JPG http://guard-lee.com/img/SpaceShuttleAtlantis.ssme.JPG Ed: This test is probably ~1/3 scale.
sandworm101 10y ago
Those are still tiny. Unless Musk has invented some new radically new classical physics, that bell is nowhere near big enough to match the shuttle engines, not at the published isps. Maybe I'm wrong and he deserves a noble prize. Or maybe his tweets aren't the full story and this is a scaled technology demonstrator. Perhaps someone should rewrite the raptor's wikipedia page to indicate that raptor is in a different league. Pics from this "test firing" are right beside numbers claiming thrusts above shuttle, which is comical given the size differences between the engines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raptor_(rocket_engine) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raptor_(rocket_engine) >>Raptor - 2.7 MN (610,000 lbf) Shuttle main engines - 512,300 lbf (2,279 kN)
- rory096 10y ago
  This is thought to be the Raptor prototype SpaceX is developing under a USAF contract for a methalox Falcon 9 upper stage concept.[0] Thus it's about the size of a Merlin 1D-Vac. Nobody is claiming otherwise. [0] http://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/642983 http://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/...
- baq 10y ago
  full scale production version will be ~14 feet in diameter: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/780296017254023170 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/780296017254023170 (for reference, f1 in saturn v were 12.3ft. (!))

Retric 10y ago

That's still rather small. For scale here is some of the shuttle's engines for comparison. http://guard-lee.com/img/SpaceShuttleAtlantis.ssme.JPG http://guard-lee.com/img/SpaceShuttleAtlantis.ssme.JPG Ed: This test is probably ~1/3 scale.

sandworm101 10y ago

Those are still tiny. Unless Musk has invented some new radically new classical physics, that bell is nowhere near big enough to match the shuttle engines, not at the published isps. Maybe I'm wrong and he deserves a noble prize. Or maybe his tweets aren't the full story and this is a scaled technology demonstrator. Perhaps someone should rewrite the raptor's wikipedia page to indicate that raptor is in a different league. Pics from this "test firing" are right beside numbers claiming thrusts above shuttle, which is comical given the size differences between the engines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raptor_(rocket_engine) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raptor_(rocket_engine) >>Raptor - 2.7 MN (610,000 lbf) Shuttle main engines - 512,300 lbf (2,279 kN)

rory096 10y ago
This is thought to be the Raptor prototype SpaceX is developing under a USAF contract for a methalox Falcon 9 upper stage concept.[0] Thus it's about the size of a Merlin 1D-Vac. Nobody is claiming otherwise. [0] http://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/642983 http://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/...
baq 10y ago
full scale production version will be ~14 feet in diameter: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/780296017254023170 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/780296017254023170 (for reference, f1 in saturn v were 12.3ft. (!))