The Real Reason SpaceX Developed The Raptor Engine!

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Thank you for all you do. I am 81 years old and live near Boca Chica. I love all of this. Don't understand a lot but have learned a lot also. Keep the info coming.

This is why, when I lived in Waco, Texas for 20 years, the entire city shook sometimes, with a low roar in the distance. If it was night, it looked like the sun was rising in the distance. They were testing the Raptor engine at the Space X facility in Mc Gregor, just outside of Waco.

One more very important thing why SpaceX developed the Raptor: They needed a high-performance methane-burning enginge, because it's possible to produce methane on mars using in-situ resource utilization, and refilling Starship there to have a return vessel. After all, Starship's real mission is the mars, and everything around that rocket is optimized for that mission.

Honestly, I’ve watched almost all of the Everyday Astronaut videos, and this is the first time I actually feel like I have a general understanding of the systems. The way you explain things I so straight forward and understandable. You made something complex sound simple. I think you have a serious talent for this. I’m impressed. Thank you!

Super enjoyed this one, thanks :) The clear, concise, well paced explanation didn't hurt my brain. Still had to re-wind & re-watch a few segments for comprehension & retention so awesome job...you learned me good!!! ')

@2:07 Liquid oxygen is not used for every rocket. Other oxidizers include: nitrogen tetraoxide, fuming nitric acid, nitrous oxide, or even fluorine.

Good smooth presentation. I can remember the US Navy Vanguard blowing up on the pad. My dad made parts for Explorer one launched by the Army on a Jupiter-C Rocket. That was on Jan. 31, 1958.

The best teachers have your skill. Breakdown the complex into understandable pieces, then complete the jigsaw. Thank you, your turn learning from a boring chore into an exciting adventure. I'm hooked.

Great to hear technical people who prioritize simplification! More fiddly bits translate to more problems.

I was allowed to stay up to listen to the first moon landing. With all my space books and artistic impressions of what the future held it was a dreamy and exciting time for a child of the 60's and 70's. And then nothing very futuristic happened for so long. I might not be around for the colonization of mars but things are exciting again, Space X and Tesla like a long awaited sequel to a great book. It's brilliant to be dreaming again and have a channel like The Tesla Space that shares and gives insight and understanding to this new era of human advancement. Just like Elon doesn't believe in unnecessary complexity with manufacturing this channel is sharing an understanding to everyone according to a philosophy of inclusiveness.

I learned a lot, which is GREAT. I knew the engines were complex, but had no idea how oxygen and fuel were mixed before igniting. Thanks for taking the time to share.

Minor correction around 10:20 -- Elon said they were able to remove the torch igniters. He did NOT say that the fuel and oxidizer would autocombust. (That's the domain of hypergolic fuel mixtures, which methalox is not.) Among those details which Elon would not discuss is some other undisclosed mechanism of causing ignition. Big props for using so many clearly attributed Everyday Astronaut clips, too! Too many YouTubers bury credits like that in the description, if they bother to include it at all.

It seems like it would have been a good idea to have done an engine swap on the falcon 9 if only to have been flight testing the Raptor engines, I know that it may have taken time away from the Starship but it could have been a different kind of Falcon Heavy without the two extra boosters. I also know that the starship will be replacing just about everything when it starts flying.

I enjoyed the video. Can you cover something related to how the engines are connected to the structure and how the nozzles are synced and interconnected for directional use?

Funny how much you think you know until someone takes the time to break it down a little more and then focus on the smaller topics one by one. Excellent stuff. Subscribed.

Gotta say, reminds me a bit of the development of the German rockets and the fuel issues they had. What I find similar is that there is a simplicity involved. These engines are "basic" but that does not make them easy to engineer.

Thank you! You explanation for me was spot on. Your flow and pace was perfect for me and I was able to keep up and understand. So well done.

Really love the approach with explaining complex things. Also thanks for the attributions to other creators' works.

Amazing, extraordinary work. I look forward to every episode especially about RAPTOR!