• incompetentboob@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Wow that’s impressive.

    Is it because the first two were prototypes so they bolted on whatever they needed without care for it looking nice or did they just refine it so much that they were able to simplify the design significantly?

    • yeather@lemmy.ca
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      3 months ago

      That and the march of progress, despite what some people believe we are still evolving at a rapid pace and engine outputs have significantly increased recently.

    • BastingChemina@slrpnk.net
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      3 months ago

      The first two prototypes looked like what traditional rocket engine looks like.

      For example:

      The RS-25 engine that equipped the space shuttle and now the SLS launcher

      https://www.spaceupclose.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/0050_2_SLS_KenKremer.jpg

      The Vulcain 2.1 that is on the Ariane 6

      https://www.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2017/10/vulcain_2.1/17217857-1-eng-GB/Vulcain_2.1_pillars.jpg

      SpaceX put a lot of work on refining the engine, they also already produced more than 600 engines ! It’s a crazy amount !

    • atocci@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      It’s more of a refinement thing, where anything not absolutely necessary is removed, or 3D printed straight into the structure of the thing instead of added to the side.