SpaceX is jumps these days. It’s not just Elon Musk’s company that’s fast Developing spacecraft models and sending them through the air, It’s also hitting the gas when developing the new Raptor Vacuum Engine, which has been optimized for use in space.

The company He tweeted some fierce snaps From “A full-term test launch of the Raptor Vacuum Engine at SpaceX’s missile development facility in McGregor, Texas” on Thursday. It is a blast.

Watch carefully and you will notice a small glow before the engine is fully started. “Preburners are fired, then the main room,” Musk explained on Twitter.

The Raptor engines are designed to take the next-generation Starship into orbit. But SpaceX looks well beyond Earth and has Eyes on the moon And final trips to Mars. You will need some powerful drives to achieve these goals.

To get an idea of ​​the difference between a regular Raptor that is designed to function well at sea level and a Raptor Vacuum, check out SpaceX image shows humans on a large scale.

Note the radical difference in size between the bell-shaped sections. The Starship could end up using a mixture of engines.

Engine tests are one of the most exciting moments in spacecraft development. SpaceX awaits a festival filled with fiery energy and preview of Earth-shaking launches, as it aims to send the spacecraft into orbit.