New tests for Raptor engines: Elon Musk aims straight for Mars

Elon Musk heads straight for Mars. On his Twitter profile, she posted videos of the tests carried out on the Raptor 4in view of the final take-off for the Red Planet, in 2025.

Among the countless projects of the American entrepreneur, from Tesla batteries to the transport of astronauts on the ISS, there is also the goal of transporting people to Mars.

The Space X project plans to bring up to 100 people on Mars. For this purpose, engineers from Elon Musk’s space company are designing numerous suitable components, including the powerful rocket engine that has just been tested, the Raptor.

First firing of Starship Raptor flight engine! So proud of great work by @SpaceX team !! pic.twitter.com/S6aT7Jih4S

– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 4, 2019

Compared to the engines used on the Falcon 9 and on the Falcon Heavywhich use a combination of kerosene and liquid oxygen as a propellant, the Raptor uses liquid methane and liquid oxygen (LOX). In this way it is possible to generate double the thrust from the engine, compared to the previous ones.

They will be in total well seven Raptor engines to equip the Starship, the unit that will bring the first space passengers to Mars. I will be the Super Heavy rocket to launch the Starship into orbit, powered by 31 new engines at take-off, which it will use for the first time, both the rocket blocks and the Raptors.

The tests posted on Twitter should also be followed by test flights inside the atmosphere, carried out with prototypes with only 3 Raptor.

pic.twitter.com/ChEGbjTGKZ

– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 4, 2019

His first trip with passengers, the Starship-SuperHeavy duocould do it around the Moon in 2023but Musk and Space X’s real target is Mars.

pic.twitter.com/yFhNx3fiOD

– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 4, 2019