Relativity Space Unveils Reusable 3D Printed Rocket
Relativity Space Unveils Fully Reusable, Entirely 3D-Printed Rocket
Relativity Space has revealed its plans for Terran R, its fully reusable, entirely 3D-printed rocket.
As a two-stage, 216-foot-tall rocket with a 16-foot diameter, and a 16.4-foot payload fairing, Terran R will be entirely reusable and capable of launching 57,320 pounds to low Earth orbit. Created in Relativity’s Factory of the Future by the same printers that manufactured Terran 1, Terran R has unique aeronautical features and complex structures. The company’s proprietary 3D printing process utilizes software-driven manufacturing, exotic materials and unique design geometries that are not possible in traditional manufacturing, driving unprecedented innovation and disruption in the industry.
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The company also announced it has closed a $650 million Series E equity funding round. The round was led by Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC with participation from investors including Baillie Gifford, funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, Centricus, Coatue, K5 Global, Soroban Capital, Tiger Global, Tribe Capital, XN, Brad Buss, Mark Cuban, Jared Leto, and Spencer Rascoff, among others. Following the announcement of Terran R, the company’s latest round of funding enables the scaling of the Terran R program and long-term infrastructure development.
The Terran R rocket will be outfitted with seven 3D-printed Aeon R rocket engines capable of 302,000 lb. thrust each, while its upper stage houses one Aeon Vac engine. Starting in 2024, Terran R will launch from Launch Complex 16, the company’s site at Cape Canaveral, where Terran 1 is also set to launch later this year. Combined with the ability to launch 20 times more payload than Terran 1, Terran R provides both government and commercial customers affordable access to space, in LEO and beyond.
With satellite technology advancements, demand for bandwidth soaring and satellite constellations representing the largest part of the growing market, Terran R was developed to accommodate the growing demand for large constellation launch services, and the company’s growing pipeline of commercial interest. As a testament to its commercial viability, Relativity recently signed its first anchor customer launch contract for its Terran R vehicle.
Terran R also represents a large leap towards Relativity’s mission to build humanity’s multiplanetary future, eventually offering customers a point-to-point space freighter capable of missions between Earth, Moon and Mars.