Going back to the "good ole" format...
SpaceX has bumped Flight 14 out almost a week
Six days, to be exact. The new liftoff date is Monday, September 28, and the time is "same as before" (8:15 EDT). No reason for delay was stated. That said, the September 22nd launch was conditioned by the statement of "pending approval" from the required agencies so perhaps the issue was SpaceX hadn't gotten approval from the agencies and they're giving those agencies some time.
China wants a Raptor 3 equivalent
The Chinese launch startup Space Pioneer, which has raised nearly $1 billion, showcased a new design for its Tianhuo-21 methane-liquid oxygen engine this week, which was subsequently shared on social media. From outward appearances, the engine looks strikingly similar to SpaceX’s Raptor 3 engine. Its thrust, 2,450 kN at sea level, is also virtually identical to that of the Raptor 3.
Interestingly, Elon Musk said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you" (in more polite language).
Would it be difficult to replicate? … In response to Space Pioneer’s engine design, SpaceX founder Elon Musk said copying Raptor 3 would not be easy. “I would recommend against a new company trying to make Raptor 3,” he said on X. “While it appears simple on the outside (necessary to survive extreme heat without a heat shield), the inside has very complex geometry that can only be manufactured using highly modified 3D metal printing.”
Wait! ... China copying things from America? Who'da thunk it?? I'd recommend they test it as hard as they can figure out how to. From as far away as possible.
I took a picture of a Raptor 1 next to a Raptor 2 and added a newer (and color) picture of the Raptor 3. The change from 2 to 3 isn't as dramatic as the Raptor 1 to 2, but the simplification is visible. Yes, those are Raptors 1, 2, 3 from left to right.
The "tyranny of the rocket equation" holds for rocket engines, too. Every pound taken out of an engine also saves the amount of fuel that has to be carried to lift that engine's extra pound.
Add Blue Origin to the list of companies studying newer, better engines
One of the big phrases that has been emphasized lately has been, "full-flow staged combustion." Blue Origin and the Rocket and Space Propulsion Division of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Edwards Air Force Base have announced an expanded private-public partnership to develop new rocket propulsion technologies, the company said this week.
The new agreement comes as “we work to develop next-generation rocket propulsion technologies,” said Nicholas Robertson, senior vice president of engines at Blue Origin. “Studying these historic and technical artifacts grounds our engineering models in real government research.”
The Blue Origin news release notes that the Air Force lab has done pioneering work in oxygen-rich and full-flow staged combustion technologies. The company said it would also continue to collaborate on testing and maturing the BE-7 lunar lander rocket engine with the Air Force at the Area 1-42 High Altitude Rocket Test Facility at Edwards.
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