AmericaThe SpaceX founder shared a photo of the Super Heavy’s refueling system, and the rocket is equipped with about 30 engines and can be reused.
The internal structure of the super heavy missile. Photo: Elon Musk.
Elon Musk posted on Twitter July 30 a photo of the engine inside the Super Heavy, a rocket being assembled at SpaceX’s facility in South Texas. “The refueling system for the 29 Raptor engines for the Super Heavy is being finalized,” Musk said.
In the photo, metal tubes radiate from the core of the engine section like the brakes of a bicycle wheel. “These are just the primary fuel lines,” Musk added. “Plumbing and secondary wiring are our biggest concerns.”
The Super Heavy is designed to be a reusable vehicle that can transport spacecraft to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The height of this rocket is 70 meters while the height of the spacecraft is 50 meters. Both are powered by SpaceX’s new generation of Raptor engines, using liquid oxygen and liquid methane as fuel. Musk said the Starship has six engines while the Super Heavy has about 30.
Several prototypes of the spacecraft were launched in southern Texas. In May, the three-engine version, the SN15, completed a flight test at an altitude of 10 km. No super-heavy prototypes have been released yet, but SpaceX will be up and running soon. The company is preparing for the Starship’s first orbital test flight, which is expected to take place in the next few months.
During this flight, the Super Heavy – Starship complex in southern Texas is expected to take off. If all goes according to plan, the Super Heavy will land in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, about 32 km from Boca Chica. Meanwhile, the Starship will fly into orbit, eventually landing in the sea near the island of Kauai, Hawaii.
Elon Musk often sets ambitious schedules, including launching Starship. The Starship could be completed and operational in 2023 if the development and testing process continues smoothly, said this billionaire.
thu thu (Continued space)
