SpaceX’s Raptor 3 engine is sublime engineering• No basic heat shield needed → saves mass and dramatically boosts reliability• Small fuel leaks aren’t dangerous — they simply burn off safely in the open plasma• Major improvements in payload capacity, efficiency, and overall reliability• Radically simplified design with deeply integrated electronics and fluid systems• So clean and minimalist that even propulsion experts initially thought it looked “unfinished” ...

SpaceX’s Raptor 3 engine is sublime engineering• No basic heat shield needed → saves mass and dramatically boosts reliability• Small fuel leaks aren’t dangerous — they simply burn off safely in the open plasma• Major improvements in payload capacity, efficiency, and overall reliability• Radically simplified design with deeply integrated electronics and fluid systems• So clean and minimalist that even propulsion experts initially thought it looked “unfinished”Elon Musk (@elonmusk):@teslaownersSV Raptor V4 en ...