Elon Musk Explains SpaceX's Merlin Engine!

Today we're getting a history and engineering lesson with Elon Musk about SpaceX's Raptor engine. We talk about some of the early design decisions and how the engine has evolved.
Recommended videos to help with some context [Playlist] - • Playlist
Huge thanks to Ryan Chylinksi from Cosmic Perspective for helping shoot this video! - / cosmicperspective & / cosmicperspective
00:00 - Intro
00:55 - Overview of Merlin
02:30 - Ablative Merlin
04:45 - Merlin 1C regen and spiral nozzle
09:35 - First Falcon 9 Flight Rotation
11:30 - Pintle Injector
17:00 - Outro
--------------------------
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[@fruityoverlord9937]

As everyone has pointed out, its amazing of a massive company CEO to understand his products with this level of detail especially when he has so many projects on the go. So glad Elon is pushing hard on his great vision.

[@SCARRIOR]

Elon is a fraud, he pays people to understand and do things for him and uses their accomplishments for his own reputation and financial gain. SpaceX can't even go past low earth orbit and yet it is worth billions of pounds in value, simply because people like you give into his bollocks and invest your money with him. Why do you think he wants to buy twitter, so he can do the same bulls*it but plaster it all over to every twitter prat out there so he can make even more money.

[@WilliamAshleyOnline]

He is a the cheif engineer ect in addition to being CEO ceos normally specialize in operaitons, although they may require a depth of a product, elons technical roles is something that is normally some other ceo like cio or cto Drew Baglino, Tesla's vice president of technology, will be the new CTO.He is a the cheif engineer ect in addition to being CEO ceos normally specialize in operaitons, although they may require a depth of a product, elons technical roles is something that is normally some other ceo like cio or cto NOTE HE IS NOT THE CIO OR CTO.. but tends to go more into those areas than the average ceo

[@papalegba6796]

He doesn't understand it at all.

[@WilliamAshleyOnline]

@@papalegba6796 what doesnt he understand? I dont think he could explain it at all to most people who arnt rocket scientists. or it would take a much longer time to explain.

[@RyNiuu]

@@papalegba6796 papa came here to explain

[@maickelwand9100]

If only KZbin was full of videos of people actually knowing what they are talking about like interviewer and interwiewed, the world would be a better place . What a knowledge these two have. We want more!

[@CATinBOOTS81]

Sadly usually interviewers don't know because they don't care. I cannot understand why then we should bother ourselves with such low quality content.

[@papalegba6796]

Musk states no numbers. No reason to believe a thing he says.

[@donlarson1224]

Sadly, the Internet has made everyone an author with a potential worldwide audience. Making it worse, some cannot determine, or don't bother to determine, if a source is current, credible, authoritative and peer reviewed. Where is "Publisher's Clearing House" when you really need it? kidding.

[@ksiaa814]

mainstream media promotes these kind of ignorance the dying neanderthal CNN is an example

[@papalegba6796]

Where are musks numbers? Timestamp please.

[@rolandmine6693]

Dude you don’t know how much you have helped me out with understanding space and learning about SpaceX and engineering. I’m 15 and space is my favorite thing, been watching you for over 2 years now. Even started building my own rockets and have learned lots about 3D modeling and printing, and more. Thanks for keeping us up to date and giving us information from Mr.Musk and many other amazing and inspirational people like yourself.

[@xavierpaddy7181]

Space is Green Screen & CGI tho.

[@son_of_stan]

@@xavierpaddy7181 nope only your bible stories are fake

[@2KOOLURATOOLGaming]

@@xavierpaddy7181 hahahah

[@andrewsaint6581]

Impressive, keep at it. You can have a career at the cutting edge.

[@idiedlongago2336]

future astronaut 👊

[@molecularmagexdshorts3706]

The most entertaining part of this is Elon demonstrating how the engines work w his hands.

[@ALotOfCancer]

@@repentandbelieveinjesuschr9495 repent deez nuts

[@MAGGOT_VOMIT]

For me it was Elon constantly correcting Timmeh's far-left field guesses. Elon should be doing these vids with Scott Manley, not Timmeh the nearly twice "Self-Asphyxiator". 🤣

[@docdistortion]

​@@repentandbelieveinjesuschr9495 can you please delete that religion nonsens from a sience channel ? it makes me real angry if i have to read such stuff. i am also not going into a youtube channel of a believer of anything and write about how sience explains there is no god. thank you in advance for deleting your post.

[@vighneshkannan7896]

@@MAGGOT_VOMIT you've got a lot of hate in your heart, and for no good apparent reason.

[@janeblogs324]

So how many millions of liters of fuel does it burn per launch though

[@brianknow9142]

I really appreciate the relationship Tim and Elon have developed and the opportunity they bring us to understand the science. Thank-you.

[@DeathValleyDazed]

Truly a historic collaboration.

[@basedaf5580]

spacex' PR department rules.

[@johnlynch5007]

Yes, this is a special relationship. Looking forward to the Raptor part.

[@U_Geek]

We get to see things that would be deliberately hidden by other companies. SpaceX is awasome.

[@AlexFoster2291]

I wonder how many horses he's given him

[@ericjayjohn4388]

I’m am so impressed at how Elon is willing to take the time to educate and to conduct interviews like this. I doubt there is anyone else in his position in life who will do this.

[@jebes909090]

this is how elon makes money. make no mistake, elon musk is the actual product of tesla and spacex. if he relied entirely on sales, spacex would be -1 000 000 000 and tesla would be worth about 20 billion. Instead, tesla is valued at 1 TRILLION !!!???!? dollars and elon is worth about 200 billion because of stock price alone. the tesla/spacex stock is a bubble.

[@Mr2winners]

tory, did some indebt factory tour with destin a while back

[@petrolkopnitro2722]

Mate Rimac did the same until the germans got involved in his company

[@krishmav]

@@Mr2winners yeah but so many times it was like "I'm afraid we can't go there, I'm afraid we cannot discuss it." Elon never hesitates to share. He'll only stop when it can become a national security issue.

[@whatsupinspace854]

It's not education. He owns the company. This would be classified as marketing.

[@davidb3491]

The knowledge of Tim and Elon mixing is amazing. The conversations are on point. I love these EDA videos, keep it up Tim.

[@CATinBOOTS81]

That's some Quality content, thanks to Elon, Tim, and everyone involved in this last series of videos. We need more people like you all!

[@mariegreen5226]

QUALITY CONTENT HIGHLY KNOWLEDGEABLE ROCKET SCIENTISTS!

[@oBCHANo]

These comments are all so blatantly fake, lmao.

[@CATinBOOTS81]

@@oBCHANo You are fake 🤣🤣🤣

[@CATinBOOTS81]

@@oBCHANo or someone who has no life and is full of resentment...

[@CATinBOOTS81]

@@oBCHANo anyway... Get lost! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@simjans7633]

Hats off to Tom Mueller and the rest of the SpaceX engineers who've made this engine what it is.

[@xavierpaddy7181]

Space is green screen & cgi tho.

[@son_of_stan]

@@xavierpaddy7181 the only fakes are your silly bible stories

[@user-lv7ph7hs7l]

@@xavierpaddy7181 You talk big but can you prove it? Go stand under Falcon 9 at launch and show us all how silly we were.

[@piotrmroz3131]

@@son_of_stan what's with the bible to do with here? He's clearly just some random conehead..

[@hippomormor]

@@piotrmroz3131 all flat earthers are religious

[@MandrakeDCR]

This really reminds me of who he is as a person. I'm reminded of many years back an interview he did with maybe 60 minutes? They asked him about SpaceX and how he was doing it and his other companies, and if he was really the person involved... I remember him saying something like '... well, that was probably the hardest because I had to learn rocket science and a different kind of applied science than I was used to...' the interviewer was like 'wait a minute, you learned rocket science just like that?' Elon is just like 'well yes, I had to learn it to make serious designs and begin searching for people I could know were real and I could trust to fill in what I did not understand, etc. etc. etc.' - It's insane what this dude knows. I think the most heartbreaking thing I've ever witnessed was when he then asked him later about what he thought about the astronauts no approving of his mission. He friggin' teared up stating it was disappointing, that they were his original inspiration and he had hoped that they would want to see it. Man I was gutted. This poor bastard has done more for civilization than most, and he is just constantly pilloried for it. Meh. We're here for you bro. lol

[@DeathValleyDazed]

Thank you for your heart felt and detailed comment. I hope Elon reads it and realizes he has more fans than enemies. Go SpaceX!

[@edwardhackett-jones8126]

You sir, are spot on!

[@rogeriopenna9014]

not why astronauts. they were talking about Apollo astronauts.

[@andrewbetances1203]

All the people that want him to succeed whereas the people who attack him are themselves useless to society. Have you noticed that? ... Warren

[@ParameterGrenze]

I remember the time when he wasn’t the richest person on the planet yet and the whole billionaire envy crowd wasn’t participating in the Musk hate…

[@PurpleHumbug]

I don’t understand most of what he’s saying but i could still listen to him all day as he’s so passionate about what he does.

[@thom7440]

Knock, knock. Oh, Tiiiiimmmmm. Did you forget about the Raptor video? These two week waits between vids is killin' us!!

[@Xalantor]

I love how you can see Elon try to analyze the problem whilst speaking, including short pauses to gather his thoughts to give the most correct answer he can. Politicians and corporate mouthpieces do not do this. They use euphemisms and talk non stop to just flood you with words so they can evade directly answering your questions. It is no wonder he seems relatable and down to earth.

[@jay.a3926]

It is his spontaneity and honesty that is so refreshing.

[@AwesomeBlackDude]

Your profession is the author of illustrated manuals, correct?

[@paulmichaelfreedman8334]

@@jay.a3926 The people calling him a fraud, they simply have no clue, the ignorant bastards

[@rorykeegan1895]

Comparing politics and engineering is a new one ... not sure its a good one.

[@KingOfCoolness]

@@rorykeegan1895 Of course it's not, too many idiots out there make everything political these days.

[@fredbloggs5902]

Considering all Elon’s other jobs, his apparent understanding in-depth of this area is impressive.

[@aaron41]

i'm pretty sure spacex is his true baby. I don't think the others get nearly as much of his time...

[@flyingdutchdan]

SpaceX and Tesla get the equal amount of time per week he says

[@Psiaqu]

He mentioned somewhere that he would love to make Tesla self sustainable and leave it for engineering at SpaceX.

[@BradiKal61]

Musk has a TON of general knowledge about all the technology of his endeavors and hires people who are smart enough to do the actual number crunching but also explain to him what is necessary and in sufficient detail that allows him to make qualified decisions

[@elftax]

You thought he had in-depth understanding? He compared electroplating to casting. It’s obvious that he doesn’t have a clue and simply regurgitating engineer speak and claiming it to be his own work.

[@stryngh]

Love these interviews with Elon Musk. When a company's leader can analyze and discuss the actual nuts and bolts of his/her product, the company's success is almost assured.

[@MrDmadness]

Government subsidies are why . Literally

[@stryngh]

@@MrDmadness NASA has been entirely "subsidized" for decades, yet its progress and technological achievements advance only slowly. In fact, it would not survive as a private enterprise. Like SpaceX, many other companies are partially subsidized, including Blue Origin and Boeing. These other companies have not achieved as much so rapidly. Subsidies help a lot, but they don't ensure success.

[@MakavelliNL]

@@stryngh Spot on.

[@MrDmadness]

@@strynghcan't disagree there .. fair and valid point

[@kv-2heavytank52]

@@MrDmadness oh yeah? and how productive is the postal service compared to UPS or FedEx?

[@xxxxxxxxxxxx_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I love how Elon trained his staff to pretty much ignore that he is there. Imagine a Fortune 500 company and random staff walk thru a video interview with the CEO of the company. They would get escorted to HR and get a stern letter reprimand. These Texas dudes just shrug and walk on by like its no big deal.

[@Groaznic]

Not only that, but holy crap check out their energy going on a smoke break, they almost freaking dismantled that door on their way out down to irreducible raw materials. When I go out with my mate on a break we're like 2 elephant crap puddles irradiated into viscous liquid state rolling down the stairs in slow motion.

[@kevinliang9502]

Trained?? They are just regular employees going to work. I see the CEO at my company almost everyday but he's not my direct supervisor. If he's talking to someone I keep walking to where I was headed. If I walk past him in the hall, I'll nod and say hi and keep going about my day.

[@jessewhite1759]

I agree with Kevin

[@xxxxxxxxxxxx_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

@@jessewhite1759 Nobody ever agrees with Kevin.

[@jessewhite1759]

@@xxxxxxxxxxxx_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx your wrong, I just said I do

[@akshayd211]

Very technical video and quite a gem, even for an engineer like me (Biomedical), it was hard to understand the design considerations. I did some research and looked up a few things and watched this again, very cool how Elon shares this knowledge. He is one of a kind.

[@minerharry]

“When the sheet hits the fan” LMFAO

[@gudfarfar]

Very interesting to see what is going on with that kind of engine. And when the CEO can take the time to explain it, you really feel privileged to witness it. Great job, Tim.

[@MegaMilez]

The interview videos don't require that much editing, and the Raptor section should have been in this video. Upload it already! K tks.

[@livethefuture2492]

It's incredible that Elon can show us these deep dives into their technical hardware, i can't think of any other company that would be more transparent and open than spacex is! It's incredibly generous of them to show off their engines like this! Thanks Tim and Elon for bringing us this amazing inside look at the workings of the of spaceflight!

[@spoofyoriginal]

Yay another episode!! Love this show

[@renascence239]

He actually wants competition, he said this several times, but as of now, SpaceX doesn’t have any serious competition

[@dislike__button]

@@PrimordialEconomics wtf?

[@ReneSchickbauer]

I think it's a good way of advertising SpaceX. They show how their product works, how they improve and simplify things, how they make it cheaper and more reliable. And it's not only advertising to customers, it's also to get more talent to work for them. Just a shame that so few companies are that open about their product development.

[@justme-ij2qy]

Tesla is pretty open too. Elon doesn't block anyone from using Tesla patented technologies, it is all open source.

[@john-or9cf]

“…sheet hits the fan!” The guy’s a comedian as well as a genius!

[@DouglasJMark]

Loved that joke too! Remember the name they originally gave to Falcon Heavy, Big Falcon Rocket or BFR for short? 😂

[@xavierpaddy7181]

Space is Green Screen & CGI tho.

[@johndododoe1411]

@@DouglasJMark BFR is the Starship booster with 30+ raptors, not the triple Falcon 9. And of cause F wasn't originally Falcon, but something all humans like to do.

[@floridaLise]

14:00 I love the way he explains, I believe that adding humor strengthens how we remember things... I think it's amazing that he shares his knowledge with the world instead of how some companies hoard information from potential competitors.

[@johnturner8286]

Nobody is presently building and exploding toy rockets like a 14-year-old Aspergers's patient except him.

[@adriangheorghiu8223]

Totaly right he is amazing... even he is not a fluent guy... that makes him probably way more fluent .... if you know what I mean

[@floridaLise]

👍You got that right, Mr. Flanders!

[@straighttalk2069]

I love Elon's analogies and humour, like when the "sheet hit's the fan"

[@johndododoe1411]

Old dad joke (according to Elon).

[@dandymcgee]

Everyone arguing in the comments about whether Elon understands his company/products better than other CEOs are *completely* missing the point of this video: Elon is the ONLY CEO who both understands his company well *and* is willing to give extraordinarily in-depth interviews to an amateur rocket enthusiast/historian/journalist KZbinr over many sessions to be posted online, for free, for the entire world to watch. Name one other CEO doing *that* (aside from maybe Gary Vee).

[@Rmaia3d]

Christian Von Koenigsegg. Plenty of factory tours where he explains lots of details of his innovative ideas. They also do everything in-house. But ok, he’s not as “big” or famous (except maybe in the car world) as Elon.

[@andrewbetances1203]

Your right most others are garbage

[@StevenOBrien]

Not really. Tory Bruno of ULA did an excellent factory tour with SmarterEveryDay. RocketLab, Astra, Firefly, Relativity have all been generous enough to give excellent tours and interviews. Also Gary Vee? What?

[@Rmaia3d]

@@StevenOBrien Oh yeah, Tom Markusic from Firefly also did a very technical walk around of the factory, with Tim too if I’m not mistaken. And yep, Tory Bruno for sure.

[@freedomoftruth9071]

jeff bazos?

[@diyprogram]

As a relatively new viewer, i watched some of your old videos and i have to say you are very inspirational. Went from knowing nothing about rocket science, but passion, to interviewing Elon.

[@gregbailey45]

True, this is inspirational not only for Elon's input, but for Tim's insatiable desire for knowledge and understanding and his desire to make it available for US. Right from the horse's mouth! Hats off to both of you!

[@spacetaco1]

Sheet hits the fan 😆 Love rocket humor lol

[@MrTrueshoe]

Amazing video Tim!! You have come so far with what you do! Your videos are top notch! Can not wait for the raptor video!

[@SomeBoredGuy69]

When I see Elon talking about the specifics of space flight, one thought always comes into my head. "Why would you want to work for Jeff Bezos, when you can work for Elon Musk?" The assurance that one must get from knowing that their boss understands exactly what you are achieving for him\her. Must feel awesome! Super stoked to see Starship orbital flight soon!

[@pebmets]

Why would you work for Elon Musk when you can work for Tory Bruno. Bruno is more knowledgeable in rocket science and aerospace than Musk. Not even close.

[@GoatPilot04]

Truer words are rarely said haha. I was admittedly so hyped about BO but the word waning comes to mind now.

[@asmmahfuz8569]

@@pebmets unfortunately ULA has zero intention of improving and push the rocket technology to the next phase. You could bet that if SpaceX didn't exist, ULA would have happily continued their decades old Atlas 5 and Delta heavy rockets for another 50 years with zero improvements. That's why you would work for SapceX instead of Tory Bruno. In fact, IMO Blue Origin is better than ULA even though they couldn't match the expectation.

[@dustins7123]

@@pebmets if that's true then why does tory brunos firm charge FIFTY TIMES as much to get load to LEO

[@DeathValleyDazed]

@@pebmets Can you link to some valid comparisons between Musk and Bruno? I’d love to learn more about your observation🙏

[@StealthParrot]

I absolutely LOVE these technical deep dive videos. Thank you Tim & Elon for taking the time to make them. So inspiring.

[@brettcartwright4471]

Great vid, thanks for the care in putting these together in such a thoughtful way.

[@timothyjerry2455]

I like the idea of a single blade and inducer. That’s really amazing. Having perfect Venturi flow is key. This was fun to listen.

[@HerbertTowers]

What is perfect venturi flow? Ah, methinks that I may have just been suckered into a windup?

[@MrDmadness]

@@HerbertTowers I'm also curious what he's meaning. A venturi is the narrowing of a channel of flow.. increasing the velocity decreases the pressure ( venturi principal ) so I can only assume "perfect venturi flow" is intended to mean a constant flow where the increase of velocity is consistent.

[@HerbertTowers]

@@MrDmadness Shame nobody spotted my pun... "windup"... wind up! Perhaps he was thinking of non-turbulent, laminar, zero drag, etc. flow? The simplified world that pilots and 5th graders are taught! I was!

[@Myrddnn]

You do a masterful job of explaining these things and interviewing others. Even Elon is impressed. That says something for sure! Thanks for doing this.

[@selvannaidoo4931]

Super stuff

[@feger481]

I've always found, that to discover as of yet unseen engineering Solutions, it's very beneficial to explain to someone else how, what and why you are doing something, to stimulate your mind to new discovery.

[@Myrddnn]

@@feger481 Very true. I've applied that to many troubleshooting problems in industry. Even if the person you explain it to has no idea what you are talking about. Just saying it out loud helps me think.

[@papalegba6796]

Musk gives no numbers for anything. Cos if he did he'd be laughed at.

[@flewdefur]

@@feger481 often you don't even truely understand the problem until you've attempted to solve it the first time

[@Gusski84]

Thx Tim, your Elon interview skills are perfect, letting the guy speak, makes such a refreshing change.

[@panhandlejake6200]

When most other CEOs have special communication events similar to this, they have a small army of experts at the ready in case a hard question arises. Another alternative for them is to control the interaction so that only predetermined questions get asked. In Elon's case, he has the knowledge and confidence to handle these free form interactions fully on his own -- and like others have noted, it is not just with rocket engines. On one hand he is not a communicator, but I think he communicates more meaningfully than pretty much any other CEO.

[@johnturner8286]

Isn't that what's happening here? Elon is responding only to the questions he's prepared to answer, and Tim is pitching only the questions Elon wanted him to ask.

[@nicholasjohnson6498]

@@johnturner8286 it doesnt feel that way tho it doesnt feel forced and elon actually takes time to think before he talks

[@panhandlejake6200]

@@johnturner8286 Over 40 years, I have been part of many complex design discussions (embedded systems, autonomous vehicles, mobile hydraulics, etc). This is honest technical dialog. For this to be as you suggest, there would have to be superior acting --- by two engineers?

[@allanrjackson]

Thanks for the post - I loved it. Looking forward to seeing the Raptor 2 video :)

[@elmirio8500]

The thing about Tim, he is not trying to "wing it" when he struggles with a concept and wants it explained, pretty sure Elon appreciates that. With that being said, Tim GETS A LOT!

[@johnturner8286]

Elon wings it when he struggles with concepts. A lot.

[@EarthyBlendPOV]

I was never interested in rocket engines until these Elon interviews. Thank you for this. Fascinating.

[@warriorprincessharmony]

Me too. Though I couldn't tell you what on Earth goes on in those engines if the Universe depended on it. I only understand about 4% of it. Or less.

[@VincentFumoII]

Check out the early videos from Copenhagen Suborbitals.. Super early stuff had them showing exactly how they built the turbo generators and stuff. I learned a ton watching them.

[@edfederoff2679]

Very cool!! Reminding me of when I worked at Rocketdyne, back in the good ol' days (early '80s). We developed the NARLOY-Z (North American Rockwell Alloy - 96% Copper, 3% Silver, 1% Zirconium) material used in the SSME Thrust Chamber- machined longitudinal grooves in its exterior to create deep fins, then electroplated a Nickel jacket over the outside to convert the fins to channels - just as Elon described. It was an extremely laborious process. New material, process, and product development are part and parcel of rocket engine production - and SpaceX has advanced the technology remarkably. That said, in Aerospace - everyone is standing on the shoulders of the giants that came before.

[@DoItMyselfGarage]

When Elon compliments you on your video of the Russian rocket engine history, you know you are doing something right. Elon is a class act. Thank you Tim for being knowledgeable enough to know what questions to ask, but grounded enough to know what to explain so the rest of us can understand it also. Your enthusiasm and genuine interest are what people like Elon appreciate. There are other people he could talk to, but he really seems to enjoy sharing with you and we get to come along!

[@TheJacklwilliams]

It’s incredible Tim that your work, your team, has grown to such amazing depth that you’ve managed to get Elon to join you and share the purpose and detail of SpaceX efforts. That, above everything, speaks to the quality of the work you and the team put out. Great stuf indeed.

[@johnturner8286]

It's almost as though Tim isn't quite what he seems.

[@TheJacklwilliams]

@@johnturner8286 Yeah? I didn't get that and I'm feeling a bit baited. I guess I've had the luxury of working with many very talented people in my life. Tim, and Elon, just seem like guys who do good work. Not god, not a conspiracy, not geniuses, just hard working, intelligent, talented human beings. I don't get it, seriously, why the HELL everyone's train leaves the track when encountering this.

[@SteveBakerIsHere]

One thing I wish we knew more about - all of the large parts of the engine are always well explained - but then there is always this insane maze of tiny tubes up at the top - I'd love to get some idea of what those actually do. I presume they're for monitoring stuff - but it would be cool to see that explained.

[@PanzerBuyer]

I'd also like to know which parts fail the most from repeated launches.

[@MrStorbeck]

Totally agree! Sometimes the "minor" details are the most fascinating!

[@Andreas-yy8uk]

I bet that's where all the patented magic goes on.

[@201bio]

@@Andreas-yy8uk or not patented because Elon doesn't trust the patent office when it comes to rocketry (iirc). Also hence the secrecy - if it were patented, it'd be protected by law.

[@PowerScissor]

You should check out the book: "Haynes Owner's Workshop Manual" for the Saturn V. It's my favorite rocket book and gets into great detail of every aspect of each stage, propellant tanks, and rocket of the Saturn V. It has amazing pictures and diagrams of every aspect of design, build, and launch/flight of each engine on the Saturn V. I've read it over and over, and it's awesome every time.

[@brianwaugaman55]

Thank you both for your time. Many people are learning from these videos.

[@Gary.Holmes]

Abso-frickin-lutely superb. Incredible to have such informative content on KZbin. Thank you Elon and, of course, Tim.

[@ongvang9289]

Elon can explain each and every part of the engine , what a man!

[@1flash3571]

And some Idio*s say that hes is only a businessman....LOL

[@papalegba6796]

Can't explain how the necessary mass flow rates are achieved. Cos they're impossible.

[@slayjay77]

Ahh..oh...uhm... 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@paulatreides6779]

@@1flash3571 That's because those idiots learned about him just after the media defined him as "the billionaire Elon Musk". Shallow people.

[@PrimordialEconomics]

What do people expect from him? He is not a business magnate.. he is an engineer.. and probably one of the most brilliant humanity has ever produced.

[@FiryaFYI]

this man is amazing! I bet no other ceo has this level of understanding about their own products.

[@fredbloggs5902]

They are rare.

[@realdevbro447]

Tory does, probably.

[@CausticLemons7]

I was so focused on listening that I was almost surprised when it ended. Great stuff, Tim! Thank you.

[@samhadlington7076]

Great work again Tim. These conversations are the best!

[@owenmedford604]

I love that everyone that walks through the building just walks by and is like, "oh there's Elon again" like he's their neighbor and moves on with their life and i over here with a dream just to meet Elon 😂

[@seanbaskett5506]

I never understood how they dealt with the diameter change of the regenerative nozzle cooling tubes as the nozzle itself expands. Beautifully explained.

[@johndododoe1411]

CopSub did it differently on their TM65 and BPM5 test engines (which are significantly smaller). Basically they made the inner and outer nozzle as two pieces and welded them together to get a contracting cooling channel (cool fuel flows upward). Details were heavily redesigned after TM65 failed during an all-up test, resulting in the twice flown BPM5 assembly method. BPM100 nozzle design isn't published yet. Hint: The numbers are the thrust in kN, M is for Motor.

[@PowerScissor]

If you live in the US, visit any of the space museums and you can see a whole bunch of them in person. The Evergreen Space Museum in Oregon is amazing if you like the Gemini / Apollo missions. Full size Titan II with launch room. Lunar Lander full size, rover, Saturn V. You can see that all the piping in the bells was hand welded back then. Well worth the trip if you don't live close.

[@daleravic]

Tony Stark, "Elon those merlin engines are fantastic."

[@randolphzhang1992]

I am really excited to see Raptor 2 in action. Great work with the coverage!

[@jaybyrdcybertruck1082]

So awesome! I cant believe there are people who dont believe Elon is an actual engineer, they need to see this series!

[@305dreamhonda]

Awesome Tim these videos are timeless and will will be valued for generations.

[@luciayurieva1211]

Of course i love the video too.

Exactly!

[@luciayurieva1211]

@ hey

[@luciayurieva1211]

@ you look so familiar to me. Have we met before?

[@mimmipiggast2243]

Excellent content as always, looking forward to watching the next episode.

[@carolinehoak]

Epic video. Thank you Tim, Elon, and his patreons.

[@newstart4jim]

You seem to be one of the few that let Elon be Elon. Allowing him to explain uninterrupted, Tim great job!

[@abzy2470]

Underated comment. LIKE IT

[@gsemre12]

Tim, we are still waiting for some sort of a Kickstarter to fund/finance an actual physical Astro-Awards! 2022 might be a good year to start it with all the upcoming bright launches and what we have witnessed until now? Hope you can surprise us all by trying to actually organize one. Love the work. Keep on doing these awesome kinds of stuff.

[@hglenn55]

Wow! Just WOWWWWW! Tim this was easily one of your best. Just the injector convo was worth it! Keep killin it!!

[@jayh.5405]

Great stuff! Thank you both for all that you do!

[@stevebroome1288]

Emotionally this is like watching interviews with Einstein or Newton. History will record Elon Musk as one of the great minds of all time. This also speaks to the magnitude of having Tim Dodd conduct these interviews. Tim has educated himself to the level that he can make intelligent questions and comments. Go Tim.

[@andrewackers5470]

Could watch Elon all day. Showing us around SpaceX and Tesla. Still love how he struggles to explain things, so the average joe will understand. Totally love what he's doing. And love the access you have. That's why I don't mind paying you the monthly fee. Worth every penny! 👍👍👍

[@briansilver3412]

I had the same thought. Knowing that it's not good practice to think by analogy, he breaks that rule (and struggles through it) to help us understand. Then acknowledges the inaccuracy of the analogy.

[@NegativeROG]

My thinking on the struggle is that he has millions of thoughts to express, but only one mouth, so it's bottlenecking and causing performance issues.

[@159753smith]

Lol him struggling to explain is literally him trying to remember the script the real engineers gave him

[@ganymede6535]

@@NegativeROG was thinking the same thing but with your and the other people answers.

[@KnightsWithoutATable]

@@159753smith He actually has a BA in Physics, so he does understand the theoretical aspects of the material. Remembering details is the hard part since that is not the current engine in use and it was built 12 years ago. He is also probably trying to remember the analogies that the engineers used while explaining the material to him.

[@KimSirius]

So appreciative of these insider videos, Tim, great job! And thank you Elon for these behind the scenes tours of Starbase!

[@ppoad]

I love how Elon really appreciates your feedback and your questions, you help him think about the work they are doing and loves your passion for your own work, and that's something you clearly can see he values overall. This is definitively why he gives you access to all this! Congratulations!

[@regolith1350]

16:09 This was the most surprising part. I had assumed throttling was controlled by sliding the pintle injector in and out (the way Elon described the lawn sprinker). But they throttle by controlling how much power the turbopump gets, which I assume means their point of control is the gas generator.

[@papalegba6796]

You can't throttle a rocket engine with a fixed ratio nozzle. That's fundamental. Musk is a moron.

[@user-lv7ph7hs7l]

I believe so, more precisely the LOX and RP1 valves that control the flow into the gas generator. Just by controlling these two valves they can control the entire engine. I'm sure it's more complex than that but it's the basic principle. And because it's a single shaft pump the ratio between fuel and ox is always more or less correct no matter what the speed of the pump is. And by using a pintle injector they avoid combustion instability which will often occur during throttling. All this simplicity of course pays off in reusability and reliability. Like Elon said in the first Starbase interviews: The best part is no part, it costs nothing and it can't fail.

[@johndododoe1411]

He also explained that the pressure from the pump controls the pintle injector, so there's no separate pintle control that can fail.

[@user-lv7ph7hs7l]

@@johndododoe1411 Oh cool, didn't pick up on that. So I assume once the pressure goes below a certain value it closes using the high temperature and pressure equivalent of a spring.

[@mohammednumaan9204]

Thanks lot Tim for your extreme hardwork you put on on every video in literally bringing space down to Earth for Everyday People.

[@craigbowie8925]

Really glad I watched the previous how rockets work video. Thanks for bringing us on this journey Tim.

[@toshy584]

Please tell me you are not going to make us wait another 2 weeks for the final episode. I freaking love this stuff.

[@fluffywarhampster]

you tim is a smart guy that Elon respects when you see the sheer amount of time elon is willing to spend with him showing him all of star base and answering great technical questions. this has quickly become one of my most favorite video series on KZbin.

[@jimlthor]

It blows me away that people think Elon sucks and he's a terrible speaker. He does fine around other smart people. Its like he's not having to dumb things down for your average reporter

[@koiyujo1543]

@@jimlthor exactly he's such amazingly talented man and CEO who doesn't care to to tell people what the details are for this ancient technology as he calls it and I do agree because this kind of engine has been around for a great while.

[@davidbeppler3032]

How often these guys see Elon, they barely even notice him giving Tim Dodd an interview! They just walk on by! lmao

[@warriorprincessharmony]

It's like he's just one of the guys working there. Engineer first, CEO second.

[@davidbeppler3032]

@@warriorprincessharmony Yep.

[@danielgreensides8463]

This is absolutely top notch content on this channel everytime! Keep it coming!!

[@AryathePingoen]

I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS. THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT AND INFORMATIVE VIDEO👍

[@MrStorbeck]

Super cool Tim. Amazing that you can get us such in depth tech info straight from the source!

[@charleslash4895]

Elon seems so relaxed and is just having a good time explaining all the achievements Spacex has come up with . Anyone who says he is just “lucky” and is the “funding” for his companies need to watch these videos . He really is a Engineer CEO

[@johnturner8286]

Musk is not who you think he is.

[@RWBHere]

Thanks, Tim and Elon. Looking forward to learning more about those engines, as well as the variants of the Raptor.

[@jeanious2009]

Love the graphics and video editing. Simply amazing and out of this world.

[@k.p.redmond2507]

I love how open Elon is with his detailed design info. ULA or any other legacy aerospace company would probably hold that stuff back as proprietary but Elon doesn't seem to care. Such an interesting person and impressive company.

[@DouglasJMark]

I wonder if ULA engineers really know how their rockets really work because their tech is so old and they can't iterate and blow things up like SpaceX....with all due respect.

[@sithonsithon1012]

Rocketry is considered advanced weaponry. It's possible he could be in trouble for explaining manufacturing processes in public

[@JumpyWizard1001]

I don't think there are a lot of CEOs that could explain the technology they're using/making so well

[@Andreas-yy8uk]

My old boss, Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller was the same.

[@papalegba6796]

He didn't explain it.

[@brucedressel8873]

Fraudulent BS

[@paintspot1509]

Such a stupid comment. You think Gates or even Steve Jobs couldn't give you detailed discussions of there products? Get a grip.

[@jimmy79889]

Steve Jobs could've honestly probably explain his products better

[@Digital-Dan]

I can't even. This reminds me of the best interactions in my own career. A different field, but the same totally honest evaluation of what was going on.

[@Yattayatta]

Amazing series of interviews, thank you Tim and thank you Elon and thank you SpaceX and Everyday Astronaut teams!

[@Simpl3Pedro]

I love to see these videos. These are the videos in wich you can see Elon more relaxed and talking thing that he really likes. And he is always very confortable with you Tim, it is like to learn about engineering with two friends. Thanks to you, both.

[@kairon156]

Been following your channel for about a year and while I understand most of the basics and what goes on to make thrust... It's videos like this that make me realize what goes into rocket science and I can imagine the thought process of designing a new engine.

[@DouglasJMark]

Thanks Tim and Cosmic Perspective. More "Timlon" please. I love these interviews with Elon soooo much. 🤗

[@ronaldronald8819]

What a delight to watch. Thank you all for this super interesting insights into the Merlin engine. A marvel of engineering.

[@markl8111]

You do seem to get a great deal of time and that is a good thing. Your conversations with Elon are the best master classes in regards to rockets, SpaceX out there.

[@seldoon_nemar]

I can't wait for this one! Your videos are going to be in a space museum somewhere someday After seeing KSC and their Apollo building, I can't help but picture your narration and videos playing on pedestals in front of engine displays

[@warriorprincessharmony]

No Museums. However, every Martian student will watch these as an introductory part of their History Course: Humanity's journey to Mars.

[@RWBHere]

His music is being used already by SpaceX, in their YT videos.

[@user-ik6xw4xu9m]

Thank you for the interview! A lot of useful new information has been received!!🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻

[@jsmanson100]

Can you believe that Elon is not a Professional Engineer! Some College/University needs to give this guy an honorary degree. Thanks Tim!!

[@alphaomega1969]

It is time to wake up dude....The Chinese designed the Tesla's FSD and not to mention Tesla, SpaceX, Solar city are all Chinese rebranded technology incase you didn't know.

[@alphaomega1969]

If you think he is smart its because you have been kept in the dark lol

[@alphaomega1969]

Tesla is the first Chinese EV to hit America and the rest of the world in the First wave and second wave is happening now with BYD and NIO lol Astala vista babe 😎

[@Vendetta210]

Elon doesn't have a degree in rocket engineering but understands every single piece of it. Marvelous

[@fredbloggs5902]

He’s got a degree in physics and he’s read all the books, that was all he needed. Considering all his other jobs, his apparent mastery in-depth of all of them is incredibly impressive.

[@TheFirstBubbaBong]

Just regurgitating books? Not impressive. The real knowledge is the people who turn the wrenches and operate the machines who create the parts. Just talking about a rocket engine anyone can do. Let's see him working on an engine. You know like building it. Using tools with his hands. I bet Elon can't even change a tire.

[@zkhz]

@@TheFirstBubbaBong Mr Bong you are half right - in another of these interviews Elon talks about how manufacturing is much harder than design. He is pretty dope at manufacturing (building it) too.

[@fredbloggs5902]

@@TheFirstBubbaBong believe whatever you like, we can all see from your other comments that you’re clueless.

[@Vendetta210]

@@TheFirstBubbaBong you can't build an engine if engineers don't design, model and understand it. Elon doesn't work in production line but in engineering side of rockets.

[@GatewaySpace]

Wow, didn’t expect that. Thank you!!

[@SebastianSanchez-sb6vz]

Tim, thanks for extracting as much knowledge from Elon as possible, humanity needs it!

[@OrangeDurito]

I really appreciate the in-depth technical questions you ask along with your remarkable knowledge of history of rocket development. Thanks a lot for making these videos! I am extremely grateful.

[@justsmashing4628]

Again, I’m stupefied he gives of his time like this, he could literally be doing anything else on Earth. Just wow.

[@SystemBD]

This is actually good marketing material for SpaceX (and Elon's personal brand), so I'd say it is time well spent. Plus, I'm sure this can help Elon has learned to delegate, so that he can have enough time for these interviews.

[@brucedressel8873]

Why are you such a simpleton ?

[@Mr2winners]

he likes tim and what tim does. make space flight exiting for everyday poeple. along with the educational documentary style videos. ( even elon watches those as he mentioned at the start reference to the soviet engine video)

[@Mr2winners]

​@@SystemBD last time while talking to tim, when discusing a topic they came up with a new design change.

[@paintspot1509]

Its advertisement... People really need to understand that Musk is just a walking advert.

[@showcase-me]

Keep em coming Tim. You interview Elon the best!

[@SocksWithSandals]

That was a fascinating insight into the thinking behind SpaceX's rocket engines.

[@mmagowd]

Love the video Tim! Just a rule of thumb as advice... Always film with the light in your back.

[@patham9]

That's what I always loved about Elon Musk, he's actually into the technical stuff at SpaceX and Tesla. Some of his predictions might be too optimistic, but hey, he is literally riding the wave of progress, so don't blame him when the wave behaves a bit differently than expected.

[@dh2032]

he's a good front man, very people friendly, or at least that what portrays anyway, and and talks in simple manner when needed too also.

[@duroxkilo]

@@dh2032 ppl confuse his confusion w/ some sort of process where he 'translates' for us illiterates to understand. :} he's as people-unfriendly as they come imo. mark my words: the moment the (nerd) press stops being in love w/ his image he'll become the most annoying rich person we got to know in generations. he already showed us a few times just how unpleasant and vindictive he is...

[@lowercase21]

@@dh2032 way better than any "front man" I can think of, he actually wants to save the worl while his drive is in space but space is the future. so we Americans should be incredibly lucky to have him in our country. Unlike a lot of billionaires just thinking about themselves.

[@johnturner8286]

Or for when he loses all interest in Mars and just screws around for a while blowing up rockets.

[@ironleader3169]

@@lowercase21 He can see beyond the horizon and tries to simplify his vision in a way so we can understand. I agree, he is an essential immigrant, he chose the USA because he understood that the USA was the only place on the planet to explore and implement his dreams!

[@soundararajanmanthiri1505]

Elon has amazing level of understanding on this “Rocket Science” topics. Thank you Elon. Thanks Jim for helping ordinary people understand these topics and brining to us these experiences of such accomplished engineers like Elon!

[@gusfring96]

It's why I hate his wikipedia page for describing him as "investor" and not "engineer and entrepreneur". Never im the article does the word entrepreneur appears, atleast last I checked.. Amazingly biased and obviously edited by someone with a hate-boner.

[@munmunhazarika5247]

Sadly a right wing megalomaniac..... Union busting..... Pays hush money for sexual harassment and loves racial segregation in his factories (son of a apartheid loving emeralds mine owner)

[@beesod6412]

Always dropping the best content. Thanks Tim!

[@DetroitMicroSound]

Musk memorized their design. Sort of. Good for him.

[@rustygear447]

one tends to remember the things they design/build. it's not memorizing.

[@DetroitMicroSound]

@@rustygear447 🤣 Elon Musk is no rocket engineer. Everyday Astronaut probably understands rocket engineering better than that fraudster does. Just because he has the money to hire rocket engineers, doesn't make he, himself, a rocket engineer.

[@rustygear447]

@@DetroitMicroSound 🤣🤣 ok, mate

[@DetroitMicroSound]

@@rustygear447 Elon is destined to wind up exactly like Howard Hughes.

[@rustygear447]

@@DetroitMicroSound is it because Howard Hughes wasn't an engineer too? 🤣🤣