Relativity Space’s first launch fails to reach orbit, but proves its 3D-printing rocket tech works

Relativity Space’s first launch fails to reach orbit, but proves its 3D-printing rocket tech works

a year ago
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https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/23/relativity-space-launches-first-3d-printed-rocket/

Relativity Space achieved a massively important milestone at just before 11:30 PM ET on Wednesday, with the first ever flight of its 3D-printed rocket technology. Its Terran 1 rocket took off from Cape Canaveral in Florida, successfully clearing the pad and launch structure, and achieving ‘Max Q’ – or the point during the launch sequence at which the vehicle is under the most pressure in terms of atmospheric resistance and stress – and also succeeded at cutting off its main engines and separating its first stage as intended.

The launch did not reach orbit, which is an extremely rare thing to happen on a new space launch platform’s first ever flight anyway. Relativity said during the launch that they encountered an anomaly with the second stage engines after main engine cut-off and stage separation that meant Terran 1 didn’t continue on its intended path to low-Earth orbit. This test launch did not include a payload or fairing, but instead carried a demonstration weight in the form of an early 3D-printed part from the company’s rocket development process.