United StatesThe founder of SpaceX shared a photo of the fuel system in the super heavy, equipped with about 30 engines on the rocket that can be reused.
Elon Musk posted on Twitter on July 30 a photo of the engine inside the superheavy that assembled a rocket at SpaceX’s South Texas center. “The fuel system for the Super Heavy Rocket’s 29 Raptor engines is in its final stages,” Musk said.
In the photo, the metal tubes radiate from the core of the engine compartment like the doors of a bicycle wheel. “These are just basic fuel lines. Plumbing and secondary wiring are our biggest concern,” Musk added.
The Super Heavy is a reusable vehicle designed to carry the Starship spacecraft to and from the Moon and Mars. This rocket is 70 meters high and the starship is 50 meters high. Both are powered by SpaceX’s new generation Raptor engines, which use liquid oxygen and liquid methane as fuel. The Starship has six engines and the Super Heavy has about 30, Musk said.
Several starship prototypes were launched in South Texas. In May, the three-engine version of the SN15 completed a 10 km high-altitude flight test. No super heavy prototypes have been launched yet, but SpaceX will be coming soon. The company is preparing for the first orbital test flight of the starship, which is expected to take place in the next few months.
During this flight, the Super Heavy – Starship Complex is expected to open in South Texas. If all goes according to plan, the super heavy Boca will land in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, 32 kilometers from Chikka. Meanwhile, the starship will fly into orbit and eventually land in the sea near the island of Kawai in Hawaii.
Elon Musk often sets aspirational schedules, including the launch of Starship. The billionaire said the starship could be completed and operational by 2023 if the development and testing process continues smoothly.
തു താവോ (Follow Space)
Problem solver. Incurable bacon specialist. Falls down a lot. Coffee maven. Communicator.