SpaceX could face bankruptcy over rocket engine crisis

The American company SpaceX could face bankruptcy if specialists fail to speed up the production of Raptor engines designed for the Super Heavy launch vehicle. This is reported by Joseph Marc Blumenthal with reference to a corporate letter from the head of SpaceX Elon Musk.

“The Raptor engine crisis is now much worse than it seemed a few weeks ago. If we do not manage to reach the launch schedule for at least one Starship ship every two years, then we could really face bankruptcy, ”- said in an appeal by Mr. Musk to the company's employees. He described the company's rocket engine production rate as disastrous.

Vice Presidents of Power Plants Will Heltsley and Vice Presidents of Flight and Launch Lee Rosen resigned from SpaceX last week. Jacob Mackenzie led the development and production of the engine.

In July, SpaceX successfully tested a 67-meter Super Heavy Booster 3 rocket with three Raptor engines. In the near future, the company intends to conduct another ground test of the same rocket prototype, but with nine Raptor engines instead of three. For the full launch of Starship, it is planned to use the Booster 4 booster, on which more than 30 engines will be installed.

As Elon Musk later noted, the Raptor engines are planned to be used on the Starship manned spacecraft. According to him, the development of the engines was influenced by Russian developments.