SpaceX’s new raptor rocket engine sure lives up to its name.
In two new videos posted to Twitter, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gave his 24.5 million followers a first look at what happened when the massive engine was test fired at the company’s facility in McGregor, Texas.
The Raptor let out a thunderous roar as it fired up. Some viewers noticed a green hue in the videos, which Musk said in a follow-up tweet may be copper in the chamber or saturation from the camera.
The engine is a crucial part of SpaceX’s plan as the company works toward the goal of sending its first paying customer to the moon and long haul missions to set up a civilization on Mars.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 4, 2019
The final Starship is expected to have as many as seven of the Raptor engines, while its booster will have an additional 31 engines.
While SpaceX is moving full speed ahead with its Mars ambitions, the company recently suffered a setback when its Starship Hopper prototype, the test spacecraft it plans to launch on short jaunts into space, was tipped over by heavy winds at the Texas launch site. Repairs on the vessel are expected to take a few weeks, according to Musk.
At @SpaceX Texas with engineering team getting ready to fire new Raptor rocket engine pic.twitter.com/ACFM8AtY8w
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 3, 2019