Raptor Engine Beats Russian RD-180 Record in Combustion Chamber Pressure - Musk
10:26 11.02.2019
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The new methane-fueled Raptor engine developed by US SpaceX aerospace company for its Starship interplanetary craft has outperformed the Russian RD-180 rocket engine in terms of pressure level in the combustion chamber, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Monday.
"Raptor reached 268.9 bar today [approximately 274.2 kilograms of power per square centimeter], exceeding prior record held by the awesome Russian RD-180," Musk said on Twitter.
On February 4, Musk said that SpaceX had conducted the first test firing of Raptor.
Russian liquid-fuel rocket engine RD-180 is used in the first stage of the US Atlas-5 rocket. According to Russian rocket engine manufacturer Energomash, the pressure in the combustion chamber of the RD-180 is 261.7 kilograms of power per square centimeter.
On January 31, Musk posted a couple of images on Twitter showing a Starship Raptor engine and saying SpaceX was preparing to test fire it at its Texas facility.
So far, SpaceX has completed the assembly of a stainless Starship Hopper prototype meant for takeoff and landing tests.
© Sputnik
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