Development through rapid iteration and testing is how SpaceX approaches nearly everything related to the Starship program, which has led to numerous vehicle designs being produced and tested. In earl...
One thing I’ve always wondered about with SpaceX’s design (lots of smaller engines vs fewer larger ones) is whether each one has its own turbopump or if multiple engines are fed from shared ones. I’ve read that the turbopumps are one of, if not the most complex parts of a rocket engine.
Unlike the N1, each raptor has its own turbopump. Fault tolerance is a core goal. In the last launch, for example, there was a single engine that shut off on takeoff, and the rocket proceded more or less normally.
One thing I’ve always wondered about with SpaceX’s design (lots of smaller engines vs fewer larger ones) is whether each one has its own turbopump or if multiple engines are fed from shared ones. I’ve read that the turbopumps are one of, if not the most complex parts of a rocket engine.
Raptor engine is tightly intergated with it’s own pumps.
Unlike the N1, each raptor has its own turbopump. Fault tolerance is a core goal. In the last launch, for example, there was a single engine that shut off on takeoff, and the rocket proceded more or less normally.