SpaceX Building Two Starship Designs and is Ramping Up Raptor Engine Production

SpaceX is building two competing versions of the new Starship rocket in Texas and Florida. The two SpaceX construction teams will cooperate but also compete on the construction of reusable Starships.

Elon Musk indicated that one focus is ramping the build rate of the new Raptor rocket engines as they build the 6th through the tenth engines.

Elon plans to complete the first 100 Raptor engines early in 2020.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 with 60 Starlink satellites has an 80% chance of launching late today.

Weather is 80% favorable for tomorrow’s Falcon 9 launch of Starlink. Launch window opens at 10:30 p.m. EDT → https://t.co/gtC39uBC7z pic.twitter.com/RHveMmfOi9

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 15, 2019

Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete—targeting May 15 for launch of 60 Starlink satellites from Pad 40 in Florida

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 14, 2019

SpaceX is doing simultaneous competing builds of Starship in Boca Chica Texas & Cape Canaveral Florida

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 14, 2019

Both sites will make many Starships. This is a competition to see which location is most effective. Answer might be both.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 14, 2019

SN4 is done. Hawthorne is working on SN5 now, but focus is ramping build rate of SN6 through SN10.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 15, 2019

That’s about right

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 15, 2019

SOURCES- Twitter Elon Musk, SpaceX
Written By Brian Wang, Nextbigfuture.com

Brian Wang

Brian Wang is a prolific business-oriented writer of emerging and disruptive technologies. He is known for insightful articles that combine business and technical analysis that catches the attention of the general public and is also useful for those in the industries. He is the sole author and writer of nextbigfuture.com, the top online science blog. He is also involved in angel investing and raising funds for breakthrough technology startup companies.

He gave the recent keynote presentation at Monte Jade event with a talk entitled the Future for You.  He gave an annual update on molecular nanotechnology at Singularity University on nanotechnology, gave a TEDX talk on energy, and advises USC ASTE 527 (advanced space projects program). He has been interviewed for radio, professional organizations. podcasts and corporate events. He was recently interviewed by the radio program Steel on Steel on satellites and high altitude balloons that will track all movement in many parts of the USA.

He fundraises for various high impact technology companies and has worked in computer technology, insurance, healthcare and with corporate finance.

He has substantial familiarity with a broad range of breakthrough technologies like age reversal and antiaging, quantum computers, artificial intelligence, ocean tech,  agtech, nuclear fission, advanced nuclear fission, space propulsion, satellites, imaging, molecular nanotechnology, biotechnology, medicine, blockchain, crypto and many other areas.