SpaceX successfully test fires Raptor engine for Mars Mission

In late August, we learned the next-generation Raptor engine was moved to its test site in McGregor, Texas, but at the time, little else was known about the particulars, such as when the testing would be conducted.

But in a series of tweets, starting a little after one a.m. this morning, Musk broke the news about the successful test-firing of the powerful propulsion engine. The Raptor engine, said to be three times more powerful than the Merlin engine used to power the Falcon 9 rocket, will be used to power the interplanetary spacecraft, reports The Verge.

Elon Musk/Twitter

What do we know about the Raptor engine? While details are scarce, we do know a few things about this new addition to the SpaceX engine stable. The Raptor has thrust capabilities of over 500,000 pounds or 230 metric tons, and 382 seconds of specific impulse. This is about the same thrust power of the space shuttle’s main engines.

The big difference between the Raptor and Merlin engines is the chamber pressure, and the Raptor has three-times what the Merlin engine can produce. We also know that while the space shuttle was powered by three main engines and two booster rockets, it is believed the Interplanetary Transport System will be powered by a cluster of nine Raptor engines.

Elon Musk/Twitter

While a successful test-firing of the rocket engine is a positive sign of progress, we still need the spacecraft, right? Elon Musk is due to give a speech at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico being held from September 26-30, 2016.

In his speech, he will reveal the details of his plans to get people to mars and give us some further information on the spacecraft he plans to use in this monumental effort. As Digital Journal has noted, Musk’s original name for that spacecraft was the Mars Colonial Transporter.

But Gizmodo points to a tweet from Musk: “Turns out MCT can go well beyond Mars, so will need a new name…” That tweet brought out a slew of suggestions, but when all was said and done, Musk switched up the name to the Interplanetary Transport System (ITS). Just think “interplanetary” and you have the whole idea.