space of relativity
A shiny white Terran 1 rocket took off on its third attempt Wednesday night from Space Force Station Cape Canaveral in Florida.
A small methane-fueled rocket powered bluish-green flames into space against the darkness of the night, creating some spectacular scenery. It appeared to be nominally working as it rose smoothly through the atmosphere and launched for over two minutes. After that, the second stage of the rocket was successfully separated.
After this, something happened. From video onboard the rocket, it appeared that the second stage engine attempted to ignite, but was unable to maintain this ignition. So far, the company has not said exactly what went wrong, whether it was a problem with either the propellant pump, injectors, or ignition system. A second stage, which by nature carried no payload, fell into the Atlantic Ocean.
After flight, the theory of relativity posted a statement on Twitter The mission is characterized as successful because the rocket passed through a region of maximum dynamic pressure during its flight profile.
“Today’s launch proves Relativity’s 3D-printed rocket technology that will enable its next vehicle, the Terran R,” the company said. “We have successfully passed Max-Q, the maximum stress state for printed structures, which is the greatest proof of our new additive manufacturing approach. Victory, main engine cut-off has progressed, flight data will be evaluated and an update will be released soon.”
Wednesday’s launch can be properly rated as a success. In a new era of commercially developed small rockets, the Terran 1 rocket puts it ahead of Astra, Virgin Orbit, Firefly and ABL Space Systems on its debut flight. Only Rocket Lab, which debuted a small Electron rocket in 2017, has successfully completed its maiden flight. Relativity employed a substantially new manufacturing process when building the rocket using approximately 85% additive manufacturing materials.
The extent to which Wednesday’s launch validated the Terran 1 rocket’s additive manufacturing structure must be assessed using flight data. This information could help determine how many Terran R’s are being produced by 3D printing technology.
space of relativity
Another big question about Relativity’s future is how quickly the company will pivot from the Terran 1, which has a payload capacity of 1.25 tons to low-Earth orbit, to the much larger Terran R vehicle. Before this launch, Relativity CEO Tim Ellis promised nothing more than another Terran 1 rocket. However, the company’s statement of enabling “our next ride” indicates that Relativity may be ready to transition to the Terran R soon.
Whatever decision Relativity Space ultimately makes, we can confidently move forward with these plans after Wednesday night’s flight.
