Relativity Space
After three failed attempts, Relativity Space’s “Terran 1” finally took off today. However, after the rocket separated, the upper stage rocket seemed to fail to ignite, and the rocket finally failed to enter orbit. Relativity Space has yet to provide an explanation for the failure.
The mission was named “GLHF” (Good Luck and Fun), and it was purely for testing purposes, so it didn’t carry any payload. The launch pad used by Relativity Space is Launch Complex 16 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA. It is the fourth private space company to obtain a launch pad at Cape Canaveral after Blue Origin, SpaceX and ULA.
The biggest feature of Terran 1 is that up to 85% of its mass is 3D printed, including the rocket structure, 9 Aeon lower-stage rocket engines, and one Aeon Vac upper-stage rocket engine. 3D printing can theoretically produce rockets with fewer parts, more reliable, lighter and cheaper. Relativity Space claims that it only takes 60 days for Terran 1 from raw materials to finished products, and the asking price for a launch mission can be as low as 12 million US dollars . Terran 1’s engine uses liquid natural gas as fuel, and in today’s launch, the flame is blue like a gas stove, which is very beautiful. It can carry 1,250kg to low Earth orbit, or 700kg to higher orbit.
The Terran 1 is a completely disposable rocket, but the company is already working on a reusable medium rocket, the Terran R. Terran R will have about 20 times the carrying capacity of Terran 1, but it will not be launched until 2024 at the earliest. It could then carry Impulse Space’s Mars rover and lander, becoming the first civilian rocket to launch a civilian mission to Mars. In addition, Terran R has also won the launch contract of the OneWeb satellite.
Today’s launch is an important step for Relativity Space, but unfortunately they also failed to escape the fate of the first launch failure. Even if the launch is successful in the future, they will have to face more powerful opponents in the field of commercial rockets. NASA recently selected Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket to launch its ESCAPADE rocket mission. Of course, don’t forget that SpaceX’s Starship may also be launched as soon as next month.
