Author Topic: Relativity Space: General Thread (Read 352944 times)

Rondaz · « **Reply #580 on:** 07/10/2022 07:19 pm »

Looking good this morning..

https://twitter.com/thetimellis/status/1545808277254000640

Rondaz · « **Reply #581 on:** 07/10/2022 07:19 pm »

Small fire at Relativity’s pad started by the methane flare stack, but sounds like nothing serious:

https://twitter.com/TGMetsFan98/status/1545770361555410945

Rondaz · « **Reply #582 on:** 07/12/2022 01:27 pm »

Another step closer to Terran-1's maiden launch.

https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1546845208524255233

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #583 on:** 07/15/2022 04:50 pm »

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #584 on:** 07/20/2022 09:20 pm »

https://twitter.com/thetimellis/status/1549255144180555776

Rondaz · « **Reply #585 on:** 07/23/2022 10:29 am »

It was absolutely awesome getting to walk around LC-16 and learn how they transitioned the pad to fit their requirements!
@relativityspace has an amazing team pushing them forward to their first mission, Good Luck, Have Fun! #GLHF..

https://twitter.com/RDAnglePhoto/status/1550651457761861632

ringsider · « **Reply #586 on:** 07/24/2022 07:09 am »

A rare look inside what Relativity has spent / is spending, and employee numbers yesterday, today and tomorrow, from a $30m tax credit agreement with California. This is very recent, from May 2022.

It shows investments of about $370m made or planned until 2026, and employees trebling from 769 to 2142. This is just in California, not whatever is being spent at the Cape, but perhaps there are similar applications in Florida?

The cells near the end of the table below seem to indicate that this is the second such $30m tax credit, and the company has to certify the following to be eligible:

"Taxpayer has certified in its application that absent award of the California Competes Tax Credit, its project may occur in another state; and, it may terminate all or a portion of its employees in California or relocate all or a portion of its employees in California to another state."

src: https://static.business.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Relativity-Space-Inc.-CCTC-Agreement.pdf

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #587 on:** 07/26/2022 06:24 am »

Aeon 1 test fire

https://twitter.com/thetimellis/status/1551740345662050304

Quote

pretty sure this is where we say “ahhhh, that’s the stuff”

Rondaz · « **Reply #588 on:** 07/26/2022 04:06 pm »

Our most recent spin-start test with all 9 (entirely 3D printed) Aeon 1 engines on Stage 1 As one of the few liquid oxygen/liquid natural gas fueled rockets in the industry, Terran 1 is racing to be the 1st LOX/LNG rocket to fly.

https://twitter.com/relativityspace/status/1551673477500784640

M.E.T. · « **Reply #589 on:** 07/27/2022 03:37 am »

Quote from: Mackilroy on 07/27/2022 03:30 am

Or, people want Relativity to succeed because they want to see the market grow, and it puts another nail in the coffin of expendability. Whether SpaceX ends up less dominant is a tangential issue at best. A growing market that can afford to support multiple partially and fully reusable launch vehicles is good for SpaceX, too.

My point is to separate the desire from an objective assessment of the company’s prospects.

su27k · « **Reply #590 on:** 07/28/2022 05:46 am »

https://twitter.com/CHenry_QA/status/1551922286009139202

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Iridium says it will launch up to five spare satellites in 2023, but not with Relativity Space. That leaves only one spare for Relativity to (maybe) launch with Terran 1. The launch provider for the other five hasn't been disclosed, only that it will be a single rocket.

Hug · « **Reply #591 on:** 08/05/2022 01:49 pm »

Quote from: ChrisWilson68 on 08/21/2018 08:14 am

I think the drunk guy is everyone starting a rocket company, the area under the street light is small, expendable launch vehicles, and the bushes are large, fully-reusable launch vehicles. The light is what it's possible for a start-up company to do.

"Most of the choices we made on Terran 1 were with the view that we wanted to do a much larger fully reusable rocket. If we had had the money to do that from the very beginning of the company, we probably would've started there." Tim Ellis from the recent Payload interview.

harrystranger · « **Reply #592 on:** 08/05/2022 03:09 pm »

Interestingly, it looks like Relativity are starting to clear a lot of land next to their launch complex. Could this be an expansion ready for Terran R operations in the future?
Full image here: https://soar.earth/maps/13046?pos=28.501863511513186%2C-80.55194175643484%2C18

TrevorMonty · « **Reply #593 on:** 08/05/2022 07:17 pm »

I can see reasoning behind using Terran 1 to cut their teeth on smaller LV and use it as test bed for Terran R engines and avionics. Still isn't it cheaper to go straight to Terran R and allow for few more failures if plan is retire Terran 1.

If they can fly Terran 1 6-10 times a year then it should still be profitable and worth keeping around.

TrevorMonty · « **Reply #594 on:** 08/05/2022 07:27 pm »

Terran 1 development will give Relativity a smaller Vac engine that can be used for 3rd stage or space tug. In case of space tug would only need a single Terran R tanker launch to refuel it.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #595 on:** 08/07/2022 06:23 pm »

NSF live in about 36 mins:

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NSF Live: 3D Printing Rockets with Relativity CEO Tim Ellis

NSF Live is NASASpaceflight.com's weekly show covering the latest in spaceflight. It is broadcast live on Sundays at 3 pm Eastern. On each show, we rotate through various hosts and special guests.

Today's episode is hosted by John Galloway (Host and Producer at NASASpaceflight.com), Thomas Burghardt (News Director at NASASpaceflight.com), and special guest Tim Ellis (CEO of Relativity).

Additional coverage: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/

sanman · « **Reply #596 on:** 08/07/2022 09:05 pm »

Is it true that after launching Terran 1, Relativity Space will seek to build and launch Terran R for its next flight?

Cottonwood · « **Reply #597 on:** 08/07/2022 09:47 pm »

Quote from: sanman on 08/07/2022 09:05 pm

Is it true that after launching Terran 1, Relativity Space will seek to build and launch Terran R for its next flight?

Terran 1 is planned to fly many times before Terran R. The fourth Terran 1 flight is slated to use one Aeon R engine (Terran R's engine) on its first stage as a testbed, so at least that many and probably a handful more.

TrevorMonty · « **Reply #598 on:** 08/07/2022 11:49 pm »

Quote from: TrevorMonty on 08/05/2022 07:27 pm

Terran 1 development will give Relativity a smaller Vac engine that can be used for 3rd stage or space tug. In case of space tug would only need a single Terran R tanker launch to refuel it.

Tim said they had other plans for this engine besides Terran 1 US, so it may well endup being used in 3rd stage or spacetug.

Solarsail · « **Reply #599 on:** 08/08/2022 12:30 am »

Tim Ellis in the interview said that the Stargate printer has been able to print under Martian atmospheric conditions; Would it be a plausible jump from there to printing metallic pressure vessels in orbital space? Would they be too dependent on (even thin) atmospheric pressure to prevent the aluminum from boiling away while they weld? Would the 0g fluid dynamics / welding behaviour push them away from their own experience and into the subjects Made in Space or Tethers Unlimited have worked on?