In a recent AMA (“question-answer”) on Reddit Mask asked about the Raptor rocket engine. He said that the engine is the icing on the cake, to the same highly scalable, but the main difficulties will be associated with providing security and preventing “unplanned disassembly”. So in the circles SpaceX jokingly called a crash, after which the missile is falling apart.
SpaceX Raptor
In 2016, the U.S. air force signed a contract with SpaceX for the design and development of a prototype first-stage engine Raptor running on a dual rocket fuel. At the core of the design is reusable methane powered Raptor engine SpaceX used in the upper stages of rockets, the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy. On Saturday, Elon Musk personally showed up on Reddit and answered a few questions about the prototype and other purposes construction Raptor.
Someone asked: “Can you update the status of scaling of the prototype Raptor to a final size? Have declared the prototype Raptor currently pull about 100 ton-force, and it will be increased to 170 ton-forces, following your design, presented at the conference IAC/2017. Tell us more about the current status and expected (better) terms resulting scaling?”.
Musk gave a detailed answer:
“The scaling of thrust – is the easy part. Very easy to scale designed Raptor to 170 tons. The design of the aircraft much easier and denser and is extremely reliable. The aim is to align or surpass the level of safety of passenger airlines.”
“If our engines are very close to the aircraft in terms of reliability, have the anti-aircraft shield to protect yourself from rapid unplanned disassembly and we will have more engines than usual for the aircraft pair, then the excess security will be possible. This will be particularly important for travel from point to point on Earth. The opportunity to get on a rocket anywhere in 30 minutes instead of 15-hour flights will be seriously marred by the words “by the way, you can die” on the ticket”.
Riding on the rocket
Reusable rocket SpaceX has paved the way for economical, environmentally safe and efficient space travel. Prototype Raptor engine, as explained by Musk, currently massturbate for use in missiles aerospace company. But his answers not only confirmed that SpaceX will be able to scale the engine, but also confirmed that the focus will be on security of passenger traffic – and all this points to the possibility of the usual travel using rockets.
So, is there a possibility that in the near future, SpaceX will sell their missiles for conventional use in commercial purposes? Possible. But first, the company will modify your engine and increase safety for passengers. Priorities – protection from “unplanned disassembly” — are correct.
Elon Musk: the rocket engine Raptor would be safer airliner
Ilya Hel