A few things from a non-expert: -Raptor is operating at previously unheard of pressure, and uses advanced new materials and heavily utilized GPU-powered flow s

A few things from a non-expert: -Raptor is operating at previously unheard of pressure, and uses advanced new materials and heavily utilized GPU-powered flow simulations during design. -it's super efficient. It's the first operational full flow staged combustion engine AFAIK. High thrust + High efficiency == a good time. -it uses METHALOX fuel, which can be made on various celestial bodies somewhat easily (importantly: mars). Water + solar energy + CO2 == methane-oxygen fuel -uses more difficult spark ignition w/unlimited restarts instead of more reliable but "cartridge" based TEA-TEB (sp?) igniters that rely on mixing volatile complex to manufacture toxic chemicals to start. The test hopper has 1 engine. The orbital prototype will have 3. The production booster will have 31 of these bad boys and put out 2.0-2.7x the thrust of a saturn V