SpaceX Test Fires ‘Raptor’ Engine That Could Transport Humans To Mars

American aerospace manufacturer SpaceX has reportedly carried out the first firing test of its raptor engine, the powerful propulsion system that will be used to transport a rocket booster and giant spaceship to Mars. Testing the raptor is among the first series of tests that will ultimately prepare the framework used for taking humans to the Red Planet.

The photos of the tests were tweeted by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. One of the images was of a steady stream of flame being emitted by the engine, while another was of designs created in the supersonic craft's exhaust plumes in mach/shock diamonds' pattern. Apart from the photos, Musk also shared a few other technical details. "Production Raptor goal is specific impulse of 382 seconds and thrust of 3 MN (~310 metric tons) at 300 bar," Elon Musk stated. "Chamber pressure is almost 3X Merlin, so engine is about the same size for a given area ratio."

SpaceX propulsion just achieved first firing of the Raptor interplanetary transport engine pic.twitter.com/vRleyJvBkx

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 26, 2016

Mach diamonds pic.twitter.com/TCX7ZGFnN0 — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 26, 2016

Previously, Musk has said that the Raptor will be capable of 500,000 pounds of thrust at liftoff, which means its strength will be nearly equal to the space shuttle's main engines. Furthermore, liquid methane will be used as fuel for the component, unlike the case with the Falcon 9 rockets which use kerosene. It has also been mentioned that similar raptors will be used for powering the Interplanetary Transport System, comprising of the rocket booster and giant spaceship.

Incidentally, the first full-scale Raptor engines were transported to the SpaceX testing facility in McGregor, Texas earlier this year. At the moment, no exact date has been set for SpaceX's human mission to Mars; however Musk plans to send people to the Martian surface by 2024. The company has previously mentioned that from 2018, there will be a series of unmanned missions that will transport supplies to Mars, in preparation for the arrival of the first humans on the Red Planet.