Relativity Space is an American aerospace manufacturing company focused on revolutionizing rocket production through 3D printing, AI, and autonomous robotics. As a launch provider, they are developing reusable rockets like Terran R to offer cost-effective and high-performance launch services for commercial and government customers. Relativity Space has partnerships with NASA, U.S. Air Force, Spaceflight Industries, Momentus, OneWeb and Intelsat, with a long-term goal of establishing an industrial base on Mars. Associated keywords: 3D printing, launch vehicles, commercial spaceflight, Terran R, Stargate printers.
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Relativity’s headquarters and a factory are located in California, the company operates engine testing facilities in Mississippi, and its launch site is in Florida.
Relativity Space shifted Terran R’s targeted first launch to 2026 after redesigning the vehicle on 2023-04-12.
Relativity will build Terran R rockets at its 1-million-square-foot Long Beach factory called The Wormhole.
Relativity’s updated Terran R design incorporates an aluminum alloy in initial models by manufacturing tank straight-section barrels using traditional techniques as part of a hybrid manufacturing approach.
Relativity plans to expand its existing facility in Cape Canaveral in preparation for Terran R launches.
Relativity has raised over $1,300,000,000 in capital to date at a $4,200,000,000 valuation.
Relativity has won launch deals from seven customers worth over $1,600,000,000 for future flights on Terran R.
Relativity Space decided on 2023-04-12 to retire its Terran 1 small launch vehicle after a single flight that failed to reach orbit.
Relativity states Terran R can insert payloads of up to 5,500 kg into geostationary transfer orbit while recovering the first stage.
Relativity Space plans to build a secondary launch pad adjacent to its existing Terran 1 test and launch facilities at Space Launch Complex 16.
Relativity Space estimates that, at production run rate from its Long Beach factory, it can initially produce and fly more than 45 Terran R vehicles annually.
NASA awarded Relativity Space a Venture Class Launch Services Demo 2 contract in December 2020 for a single Terran 1 launch.
Terran R’s first stage is planned to be powered by 13 Aeon R methane/liquid oxygen engines that Relativity is developing.
Relativity Space has been testing Aeon R combustion devices at NASA Stennis Space Center since mid-2022 at full scale and 100% power.
Relativity Space completed its first full build of an Aeon R engine in February 2023.
Relativity announced the Terran R in 2021 and raised $650,000,000 in that fundraising round.
Relativity Space intends to begin launching Terran R from Space Launch Complex 16 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida starting in 2026.
Relativity Space designed and manufactured Aeon R engines in-house, building on additive manufacturing advances from its Aeon 1 engine.
Iridium held a contract for up to six Terran 1 launches of replacement satellites and contracted five of those remaining spares to SpaceX in September 2022, leaving at most one launch with Relativity.
Relativity Space announced in October 2022 a more than 150-acre expansion at Stennis to support high-volume Terran R testing and infrastructure.