The world’s first 3D printed rocket was yesterday scheduled to blast off from Florida on the maiden flight of an innovative spacecraft billed as being less costly to produce and fly.
Liftoff of the rocket, Terran 1, had been scheduled for Wednesday at Cape Canaveral, but was postponed at the last minute because of propellant temperature issues.
The new launch window for the rocket built by California aerospace start-up Relativity Space to put satellites into orbit was from 1pm to 4pm yesterday.
Photo: AFP / Trevor Mahlmann / Relativity Space
Terran 1 was set to reach low Earth orbit 8 minutes after blastoff on a voyage intended to gather data and demonstrate that it can withstand the rigors of liftoff and space flight.
If the rocket managed to attain low Earth orbit, it would be the first privately funded vehicle using methane fuel to do so on its first try, Relativity has said.
Terran 1 is not carrying a payload for its first flight, but the rocket would eventually be capable of putting up to 1,250kg into low Earth orbit.
The rocket is 33.5m tall with a diameter of 2.2m, and 85 percent of its mass is 3D printed with metal alloys, including the engines.
It is the largest ever 3D printed object according to the Long Beach-based company whose goal is to produce a rocket that is 95 percent 3D printed.
Terran 1 is powered by Aeon engines using liquid oxygen and liquid natural gas — the “propellants of the future,” Relativity has said.
Vulcan rockets being developed by United Launch Alliance and Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX) Starship use the same fuel, capable of eventually fueling a voyage to Mars.
Terran 1 has nine 3D printed Aeon 1 engines on its first stage and one 3D printed Aeon Vacuum engine on its second stage.
Relativity is also building a larger rocket, Terran R, capable of putting a payload of 20,000kg into low Earth orbit.
The first launch of a Terran R, which is designed to be fully reusable, is scheduled for next year from Cape Canaveral.
A satellite operator can wait for years for a spot on an Arianespace SA or SpaceX rocket, and Relativity Space hopes to accelerate the timeline with its 3D printed rockets.
“Long-term, a major benefit of 3D printing is the ability to more rapidly democratize space due to the incredible cost effectiveness, radical flexibility and customization,” the company said.
Relativity said its 3D printed rockets use 100 times fewer parts than a traditional rocket and a Terran 1 and a Terran R can be built from raw materials in 60 days.
Relativity has already signed commercial launch contracts worth US$1.65 billion, mostly for the Terran R, said CEO Tim Ellis, who cofounded the company in 2015.
“Medium-heavy lift is clearly where the biggest market opportunity is for the remaining decade, with a massive launch shortage in this payload class,” Ellis wrote on Twitter.
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