The world’s first 3D-printed rocket is scheduled to blast off from Florida on Saturday on the maiden flight of an innovative spacecraft billed as being less costly to produce and fly.
The Terran 1 rocket was scheduled for launch on Wednesday at Cape Canaveral, but the launch was abruptly postponed due to propellant temperature issues. Relativity Space, a startup in the aerospace industry in California, has changed the launch window to be on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. (1800 to 2100 GMT).
Eight minutes after launch, Terran 1 is scheduled to enter low Earth orbit on a mission to collect data and show that it can resist the rigors of launch and space travel.
According to Relativity, if the rocket is successful in reaching Earth’s lowest orbit, it will be the first privately-funded methane-fueled spacecraft to do so.
The Terran 1 rocket is not carrying a payload on its initial flight, but it has the capacity to launch as much as 2,755 pounds (1,250 kilogrammes) into low Earth orbit in the future.
The rocket is 110 feet (33.5 metres) tall, has a 7.5 foot (2.2 metre) diameter, and 85 percent of its bulk, including the engines, is made of 3D-printed metal alloys.
According to Relativity, if the rocket is successful in reaching Earth’s lowest orbit,, it will be the first privately-funded methane-fueled spacecraft to do so.
The Terran 1 rocket is not carrying a payload on its initial flight, but it has the capacity to launch as much as 2,755 pounds (1,250 kilogrammes) into low Earth orbit in the future.
The rocket is 110 feet (33.5 metres) tall, has a 7.5 foot (2.2 metre) diameter, and 85 percent of its bulk, including the engines, is made of 3D-printed metal alloys.
Moreover, Relativity is developing the Terran R, a more powerful rocket that can launch a payload weighing up to 44,000 pounds (20,000 kg) into low-Earth orbit.
The first Terran R, which is intended to be completely reusable, will launch from Cape Canaveral early the next year. A slot on an Arianespace or SpaceX rocket can take years to fill, but Relativity Space intends to shorten the waiting period with their 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.
According to Relativity, Terran 1 and Terran R can be constructed from scratch in just 60 days and use 100 times fewer parts than conventional rockets.
Tim Ellis, the CEO of Relativity and one of the company’s co-founders, claims that the company has already inked commercial launch contracts worth $1.65 billion, most of which are for the Terran R.
“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 tweeted.
