SpaceX Unveils Next-Gen Starship and Raptor Designs

Fast Summary:

• SpaceX’s Raptor 3 rocket engine had its first hot-fire in August 2024 and entered scaled production by early 2025.
• Key Specifications for Raptor 3:

– Thrust: 280 tonnes-force (tf) at sea level.
– Specific Impulse (ISP): 350 seconds.
– Dry Mass: Under 1,525 kg.- Nearly double the thrust-to-weight ratio of Raptor 2 with reduced complexity (no external heat shields, advanced cooling system).

• Super Heavy booster using a cluster of 33 engines could achieve ~9,000 tf total liftoff thrust.
• projections for future versions:

– Raptor V4 engine to surpass per-engine thrust of 300 tf and streamline architectural design. Expected ISP gains include ~355 seconds at sea level and vacuum variants up to ~380 seconds. Full production is anticipated by mid-to-late 2027 with further payload optimizations.- starship Version V4 projected height closer to ~150m with payload capabilities exceeding reusable mode figures of over 250 tonnes by late this decade.

Development Timeline Highlights:

1. Late-V3 prototype flights ramping between Q4-2025-Q2-26-commeructionsPropag Target-Star-layerable Milestones Future/powered