OREANDA-NEWS. Elon Musk, the inventor, founder and owner of the space company SpaceX, said in an interview with Everyday Astronaut that when creating the Raptor rocket engine, he was inspired, among other things, by Russian developments.

“I’m trying to dispel the misconception that design is the hardest thing. It’s not the hardest thing. There have been many wonderful rocket designs. I spend a lot of time studying the design of Russian rocket engines. There are wonderful Russian engines, Russia has been engaged in liquid rocket engines for a long time, yes and I've made literally hundreds of different designs, "he said.

According to the inventor, the problem is not whether it is possible to create a rocket with a liquid engine - this task has already been completed.

“Of course, our engine is more pressure than before, and it has full gasification of the combustion components. But these are relatively small improvements in relation to what the Russians have already done. The super hard thing about the Raptor is how to make a Raptor with less thrust per ton. thousands of dollars, "Musk explained.

According to him, if the prime cost can be reduced, then humanity can become a civilization living on several planets.

The Raptor is a closed-cycle rocket engine that runs on liquid methane and oxygen. Musk expects to use it on the Starship.