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Since our Russian friend did these modelings of a possible SpaceX super-heavy launcher based on their new Raptor (methane/LOX staged combustion) engine Tom Mueller, SpaceX's co-founder and VP of Propulsion (formerly of TRW and Northrop Grumman), has confirmed Raptor will be more powerful than previously stated, and it will be the basis of their in-progress Mars program. Elon Musk has said this launcher will make Saturn V look small.
Raptor thrust,
Original spec (sea level): 660,000 lbf (300 tonnes)
Updated spec (sea level): 1,000,000 lbf (454 tonnes)
As an acquaintance who is on a NASA advisory board said, "1*MILLION each?* Crap, that's a lot ."
Mueller also confirmed other engine specifics that can't be shared, yet, but indicate Raptor is a very advanced engine design.
He also said the new launchers first stage will use 9 Raptors, similar to the Falcon 9 arrangement, and that one of their Mars trips will mass about 100 tonnes.
System name (all hardware): Mars Colonial Transporter (MCT)
This is very real - Raptor components start tests at NASA's Stennis propulsion center early this year.
That said, the physical layout of at least the single core in the simulation seems very close, except that the cores diameter will be a full 10 meters. The Space Shuttles external tank was just 8.4 meters.
We should hear more within a few weeks, but whatever they call this thing its a beast.
Falcon Mars? Falcon Ridiculously Heavy??
************
THESE ARE NOT SPACEX DESIGNS!!
But in light of Muellers statements.they now seem very close.
However, former Russian rocket designer Dmitry Vorontsov took a shot at creating a design around the known specs of the SpaceX Raptor methane engines. This can be augmented using data for a very similar Russian methane engine in development, the RD-0162/0164 for the Soyuz 5 (a possible TsSKB Progress replacement for Proton).
Assumption #1 was that they'd stick with what they know, a 9 engine core like F9 to retain engine out, simplify adapting their avionics etc.
Assumption.#2 was that they'd make a single core launcher and a tri-core Heavy, basically scaling up what they're doing with F9 and FH.
S1: core + boosters
S2: upper stage
S3: spacecraft w/integrated Raptor
Hold your breath....
Raptor thrust,
Original spec (sea level): 660,000 lbf (300 tonnes)
Updated spec (sea level): 1,000,000 lbf (454 tonnes)
As an acquaintance who is on a NASA advisory board said, "1*MILLION each?* Crap, that's a lot ."
Mueller also confirmed other engine specifics that can't be shared, yet, but indicate Raptor is a very advanced engine design.
He also said the new launchers first stage will use 9 Raptors, similar to the Falcon 9 arrangement, and that one of their Mars trips will mass about 100 tonnes.
System name (all hardware): Mars Colonial Transporter (MCT)
This is very real - Raptor components start tests at NASA's Stennis propulsion center early this year.
That said, the physical layout of at least the single core in the simulation seems very close, except that the cores diameter will be a full 10 meters. The Space Shuttles external tank was just 8.4 meters.
We should hear more within a few weeks, but whatever they call this thing its a beast.
Falcon Mars? Falcon Ridiculously Heavy??
************
THESE ARE NOT SPACEX DESIGNS!!
But in light of Muellers statements.they now seem very close.
However, former Russian rocket designer Dmitry Vorontsov took a shot at creating a design around the known specs of the SpaceX Raptor methane engines. This can be augmented using data for a very similar Russian methane engine in development, the RD-0162/0164 for the Soyuz 5 (a possible TsSKB Progress replacement for Proton).
Assumption #1 was that they'd stick with what they know, a 9 engine core like F9 to retain engine out, simplify adapting their avionics etc.
Assumption.#2 was that they'd make a single core launcher and a tri-core Heavy, basically scaling up what they're doing with F9 and FH.
S1: core + boosters
S2: upper stage
S3: spacecraft w/integrated Raptor
Hold your breath....
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