Previously, SpaceX has talked saving about 500 kilograms from Raptor 1 to Raptor 3 and 100-200 kilograms from going from Raptor 2 to Raptor 3. But on the Flight 8 launch preparation, they talked about saving 1 metric ton of mass per Raptor 3 engine.
This must be mass beyond the engine to related components simplifications.
This means about 39 tons saved for 33 booster engines and 6 Starship engines.
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@GoatGuy
Punny. I’m sure they don’t realize that reliability outweighs “juicy” so thankfully you’re here. (sarcasm!) I think you’re missing the point of the article which is to show how SpaceX is managing to make commercial space-travel and exploration truly possible by continuously cutting costs and weight by creating more efficient [literally everything]. Something that even NASA struggles with. (based on the cost of the SLS). You say it’s a failure that “test” flights exploded. Hell they can blow up ten more of them if that’s what it takes to create this epic possibility for the future of space travel/exploration. Failure? It’s called progress. I don’t see anyone else even getting close to what SpaceX is doing.. and I really don’t understand people who hate on Elon Musk just because he’s achieving more than literally any other human in history and still has time to play video games. You’re not saving the day with your comment. Elon Musk isn’t gonna read this and then have an epiphany moment that the upper stage needs to be reliable and not “juicy” so I really think your criticism is really the only mooted point (irony!).
Seems to me that the positive hubris about a better, cheaper, lighter main engine is kind of a mooted point, with the most recent failure. Seriously … lighter and lower-part counts are a real juicy goal for SpaceX, but absolute reliability methinks outweighs (pun!) juicy every time. Can’t sacrifice reliability when 17 (or 37?) motors are pushing away in unison. If that upper stage bird was full of, oh, people … spectacular failure really isn’t a tenable option.
Just sayin’, GoatGuy
The bottom booster with 33 engines has been working great. It is new upper stage with 6 engines that is having problems. Clearly they must do the rework to make upper stage completely reliable.