Musk: New SpaceX Raptor 3 engine optimization was made possible by AM

Makes sense. Combustion engine block/head manufacturing is similarly limited by the need for oil/cooling canals. With 3D printing you no longer have to worry about how are you going to drill and plug those.

Thank you. Simply amazing what SpaceX has accomplished. Almost half the weight(with hardware) and 95 tonnes more thrust than Raptor 1.

I always felt there are too many of those pipes there in these space and aviation engines. And it took SpaceX 3 iterations to prove my "common-sense university" thinking was correct.

Incredible.

Three kinds of beautiful.