Watch this video ad free on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/realengineering-how-nasa-reinvented-the-rocket-engine Watch the next episode of Real Engineering 2 Weeks early on Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/realengineering Links to everything I do: https://beacons.ai/brianmcmanus Get your Real Engineering shirts at: https://standard.tv/collections/real-engineering Credits: Writer/Narrator: Brian McManus Writer: Josi Gold Editor: Dylan Hennessy Animator: Mike Ridolfi Animator: Eli Prenten Sound: Graham Haerther Thumbnail: Simon Buckmaster References: [1] “Increasing engine efficiency,” Aerospace America, Apr. 30, 2018. . https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/departments/increasing-engine-efficiency/ [2] “Falcon 9 - SpaceFlight Insider.” . https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/hangar/falcon-9/ [3] “Current State of NASA Continuously Rotating Detonation Cycle Engine Development,” in AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/6.2023-1873 [4] “Computational Study of Deflagration to Detonation Transition in Pulse Detonation Engine Using Shchelkin Spiral,” Appl. Mech. Mater. https://www.scientific.net/AMM.772.136 [5] “A Theoretical Review of Rotating Detonation Engines | IntechOpen.” . https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/70511 [6] “Rotating detonation combustors and their similarities to rocket instabilities,” Prog. Energy Combust. Sci. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360128518301783 [7] “Gaillard et al. - 2017 - Numerical simulation of a Rotating Detonation with.pdf.” . https://hal.science/hal-01558902/document [8] “Teasley et al. - 2021 - A Review Towards the Design Optimization of High P.pdf.” . https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20210018267/downloads/Review%20of%20RDRE%20Injector%20Design_AIAA_Teasley_Final.pdf [9] “Pressure Distribution and Performance Impacts of Aerospike Nozzles on Rotating Detonation Engines,” in 2018 AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Kissimmee, Florida, Jan. 2018, doi: 10.2514/6.2018-1626. https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/10.2514/6.2018-1626 [10] “Effect of Aerospike Plug Nozzle Design on Rotating Detonation Engine Performance for Rocket Applications | AIAA SciTech Forum.” . https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/6.2019-0197 [11] “観測ロケットS-520-31号機による深宇宙探査用デトネーションエンジン宇宙実証実験に成功,” 宇宙科学研究所. . https://www.isas.jaxa.jp/topics/002693.html [12] “NASA RDRE For Release to AIAA Teasley ER13.pdf.” . https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20220012375/downloads/NASA%20RDRE%20For%20Release%20to%20AIAA%20Teasley%20ER13.pdf Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images Thank you to AP Archive for access to their archival footage. Music by Epidemic Sound: http://epidemicsound.com/creator Thank you to my patreon supporters: Abdullah Alotaibi, Adam Flohr, Henning Basma, Hank Green, William Leu, Tristan Edwards, Ian Dundore, John & Becki Johnston. Nevin Spoljaric, Jason Clark, Thomas Barth, Johnny MacDonald, Stephen Foland, Alfred Holzheu, Abdulrahman Abdulaziz Binghaith, Brent Higgins, Dexter Appleberry, Alex Pavek, Marko Hirsch, Mikkel Johansen, Hibiyi Mori. Viktor Józsa, Ron Hochsprung