Pushed to the Limit - SpaceX's Starship Raptor Engines

Published at : 17 Dec 2025

Thanks to Novatech for sponsoring this video: https://novatechloadcells.co.uk/

SpaceX’s Raptor engine is at the heart of Starship — the most powerful rocket ever built. With 39 engines powering Starship and Super Heavy, SpaceX needs to produce an astonishing number of Raptors and make sure every single one can handle the extreme demands of flight.

In this video, we’ll explore all aspects of Raptor testing:
* The main parts of the engine and how they work together
* How propellant flows through the full-flow staged combustion cycle
* The three types of Raptor tests (spin prime, preburner, and static fire)
* Where Raptors are tested (McGregor, Massey, and Starbase)
* The support hardware that makes testing possible
* What’s different between ground testing and real flights
* How Raptor 3 and future designs may change testing

From startup sequences to engine chill, deluge systems, and RVac nozzle bracing — we’ll cover the how and the why of every Raptor test.

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🤵 Hosted by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer).
🖊️ Written by Alejandro Alcantarilla Romera (@alexphysics13)
🎥 Video from Jack Beyer, Max Evans, Ceaser G, John Galloway, D Wise, Starbase Live, SpaceX, Google Earth.
✂️ Edited by Ryan Caton (@DPodDolphinPro).
💼 Produced by Kevin Michael Reed (@kmreed).

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#SpaceX #Starship #RaptorEngine

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