Is SpaceX's Raptor engine the king of rocket engines?

Video Description

00:00 - Intro 02:55 - Basic physics of rocket engines 06:10 - Rocket engine cycles 20:30 - Rocket fuel comparison 30:40 - Raptor vs other rocket engines 44:05 - Summary Article version - https://everydayastronaut.com/?p=9823&preview=true SpaceX's new raptor engine is a methane fueled full flow staged combustion cycle engine and its so hard to develop, no engine like this has ever flown before! Now this topic can be really intimidating so in order to bring the Raptor engine into context, we’re going to do an overview of a few common types of rocket engine cycles then compare the Raptor to a few other common rocket engines, like SpaceX’s current work horse, the Merlin, The Space Shuttle’s RS-25, the RD-180, Blue Origin’s BE-4 and the F-1 engine. And if that’s not enough, not only is SpaceX using a crazy engine cycle, they’re also going to be using Liquid Methane as their fuel, again something that no orbital rocket has ever used! So we’ll also go over the unique characteristics of liquid methane as a rocket fuel and see if we can figure out why SpaceX went with Methane for the Raptor engine. We'll also break down and explain all the different engine cycle types so you know what the full flow staged combustion cycle is, how it works, and how it compares to the other cycles. So by the end of this video hopefully we’ll have the context to know why the raptor engine is special, how it compares to other rocket engines, why it’s using methane and hopefully find out if the Raptor engine will be the new king of rocket engines… ----------------------------------------------- Rocket engine renders by @MartianDays https://twitter.com/MartianDays F-1 Turbopump photo provided by Mike Jetzer/heroicrelics.org HUGE thanks to my Moon Walker Patreon supporters! Blake Jacobs, Eli Burton, Jethro, Mac Malkawi, Neurostream, Ole Mathias Heggem Want to support what I do? Consider becoming a Patreon supporter for access to exclusive livestreams, our discord channel and subreddit! - http://patreon.com/everydayastronaut The best place for all your space merch needs! https://everydayastronaut.com/shop/ All music is original! Check out my album "Maximum Aerodynamic Pressure" anywhere you listen to music (Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, etc) or click here for easy links - http://everydayastronaut.com/music I'm the cohost of an awesome podcast where we talk all about current technologies and how they shape our future! http://ourludicrousfuture.com or here on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/ourludicrousfuture