Raptor 3 is the newest version of the Raptor Engine, the engine powering the Starship system. Raptor 3 will eventually replace Raptor 2, and is expected to be used on the Block 3 version of Starship. However, it is still currently in a developing phase and no Raptor 3 engines have been installed on any vehicles at Starbase. Raptor 3 may eventually be replaced by an even more powerful Raptor 4 engine however little is know about this and it is likely just a very early concept for a future further upgraded raptor.
As of April 2025, 7 Raptor 3 engines have been spotted at McGregor all of which have been sea level engines apart from one Raptor 3 Vacuum (serial number 8). Numerous firings (over 300 individual tests with a cumlitive duration of over 16,000s as of May 2025 [1])from Raptor 3 configured stands suggest active and intensive testing of the engine, very probably with many more engines that just the four observed particularly consindering the ranging serials of up to Raptor 3 Serial Number 23.
Specifications[]
| Version | Thrust | Specific impulse | Engine mass | Engine + vehicle-side commodities and hardware mass | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R3 sea level | 280tf | 350s | 1525kg | 1720kg | Raptor 3 is designed for rapid reuse, eliminating the need for engine heatshields while continuing to increase performance and manufacturability. According to an update from Elon Musk, "@nickfloats Raptor 3 will aim for 300 tons of thrust at liftoff, so 10,000 tons of combined thrust for 33 engines"[2] |
History Overview[]
The first Raptor 3 engine was spotted on 3 August 2024 at McGregor. On 31 December 2024, NSF's Gary Blair spotted Raptor 3 SN4 on the horizontal test stand at McGregor. [3]
| Serial Number | First Spotted | Vehicle | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 03 August 2024 | Unknown | First full Raptor 3 produced | |
| 4 | 31 December 2024 | Unknown |  c Gary Blair NSF  | |
| 6 | 29 May 2025 | Unknown | Shared on Elon Mars talk | |
| 8 | 29 May 2025 | Unknown | Shared on Elon Mars talk - first Raptor 3 Vacuum engine spotted | |
| 16 | 13 May 2025 | Unknown | ||
| 20 | 14 May 2025 | Unknown | ||
| 23 | 16 June 2025 | Unknown |
Gallery[]
