Everyday Astronaut
@Erdayastronaut · Aug 17, 2020
Exactly! Merlin for example can deep throttle down to under 40% of its max output (I forget the exact number) thanks largely in part to its pintle injector. Raptor hasn’t gone below 50% that I’m aware of and might have a harder time doing so than the Merlin.
Elon Musk
@elonmusk
Max demonstrated Raptor thrust is ~225 tons & min is ~90 tons, so they’re actually quite similar. Both Merlin & Raptor could throttle way lower with added design complexity. Raptor preburner & Merlin gas generator flameout are what limit lower bound.
02:50 AM · August 18, 2020 · 0 views
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