3D printing specialist Relativity Space is testing its first rocket launch on Saturday, a mission that marks the most significant test yet of the company’s ambitious manufacturing approach.
The company’s Terran 1 rocket launches from the LC-16, a launch pad at the US Space Force facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The mission is called “Good luck, have fun” and aims to reach orbit successfully. Relativity has a time between 1pm and 4pm ET to launch, or postponed as it did after an attempt earlier this week. The company said a ground equipment valve malfunctioned during Wednesday’s attempt, affecting the temperature of the propellant injected into the rocket, but later fixed the valve problem.
While many space companies use 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, The theory of relativity has been comprehensively effective in the approach. The company believes its approach will make building an orbital-grade rocket much faster than traditional methods, requiring thousands of fewer parts and allowing changes to be made through software. . The Long Beach, California-based venture aims to create rockets from raw materials in as little as 60 days.
Terran 1 is 110 feet tall, with nine engines powering the lower first floor and one powering the second upper deck. Its Aeon engine is 3D printed, with the rocket using liquid oxygen and liquid natural gas as two fuels. The company says that 85% of these first Terran 1 rockets were 3D printed.
The company’s Terran 1 rocket stands on a launch pad at LC-16 in Cape Canaveral, Florida before the first launch attempt.
Trevor Mahlmann / Relativity Space
Relativity values Terran 1 at $12 million per launch. It is designed to carry about 1,250 kg into low Earth orbit. That puts the Terran 1 in the “medium-elevator” portion of the US launch market, between Rocket Lab’s Electron and SpaceX’s Falcon 9 in terms of both price and capabilities.
Wednesday’s launch for Terran 1 does not carry payloads or satellites inside the rocket. The company emphasizes the launch represents a prototype.
IN a bunch of tweets Prior to the mission, Ellis shared his expectations for the mission: He noted that reaching the maximum aerodynamic pressure milestone about 80 seconds after takeoff would be an “inflection point.” important” to demonstrate the company’s technology.
Outside the “Deep Pit” factory.
relative space
