How much progress has SpaceX’s Raptor engine achieved compared to previous records?
This Week In Spaceflight: SpaceX’s Raptor Breaks Records, NASA Announces Second Artemis Lander
SpaceX’s Raptor Breaks Records
SpaceX’s Raptor rocket engine has broken records once again. This time, the engine reached a record of 268.9 bar chamber pressure during testing at SpaceX’s facilities in Texas. This pressure is equivalent to the weight of over 354 elephants on a single square inch. The Raptor engine is a vital component in SpaceX’s Starship rocket, which the company hopes will eventually take humans to explore Mars.
NASA Announces Second Artemis Lander
NASA has announced that it has awarded a contract for a second lunar lander for the Artemis program. The Artemis program aims to send humans back to the moon by 2024, and this new lander will be critical to its success. The contract was awarded to Dynetics, a company based in Alabama. The lander will be designed to carry two astronauts to the lunar surface, and it will also carry tools, equipment, and supplies that will help them explore the moon’s surface.
List of Other Space News This Week
- Astronauts aboard the International Space Station took a spacewalk to install a new “front porch” on the space station’s Tranquility module. The new porch will serve as a docking port for future commercial spacecraft.
- China successfully launched a new rocket that will be used to deliver satellites into orbit. The new rocket, called the Long March 11, is designed to be small and flexible, allowing it to quickly launch small satellites into orbit from mobile platforms at sea.
- Blue Origin announced that it has successfully tested the escape system for its New Shepard spacecraft. The escape system is designed to quickly and safely carry passengers away from the spacecraft in the event of an emergency during launch.
Overall, it has been an exciting week in spaceflight, with developments from SpaceX, NASA, and other organizations pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve in space. These developments are a reminder of the incredible potential of space exploration and the many exciting discoveries that await us in the future.