Dozens and even hundreds of improvements are made as a result of every Starship test flight.
The Raptor engine has evolved from its first design to a simpler one.
Much of the "fiddly bits" on Raptor 1 have been "deleted, combined, simplified on Raptor 2: a gigantic difference in complexity."
It's simplified, and yet it's more powerful. The first version produced 185 tons of thrust, the simplified version 2 produces 230 tons of thrust.
When the next test flight (#9) of Starship launches, it will reuse the same booster and 29 of the same Raptor 2 engines used in test flight #7. It will be the first time for booster and engine reuse in a Starship flight.
Raptor 3, a new design, is still in the testing process.
(cont'd tomorrow)
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