🧵: Hard to believe the day is nearly here to launch Terran 1, our first rocket! 7 years ago, I cofounded @relativityspace, which feels like a lifetime ago, but is an incredibly short time frame in the scheme of things in aerospace. Especially starting as two people in a WeWork, truly from scratch, where we had to rally and scrap together every ounce of funding, team, facilities, and technology starting from absolutely nothing. Very hard to believe, and humbling to think, that in those years our incredible team managed to do so much. We’ve built out multiple factories, test stands and a fully operational launch site. Iterated through 4 generations of our Stargate metal 3D printers. Designed, built, tested, and soon will LAUNCH the first 3D printed rocket in the world, and the first methane-fueled rocket attempt to orbit (propellant choice of the future, especially for reusable rockets). Seriously 🤯
I have been getting lots of questions about what I’m hoping for on launch day. Of course, the rocket-loving engineer in me wants to see us be the first privately-funded AND first liquid-propellant rocket to ever reach orbit on the first try. That would be truly unprecedented, especially with all the other “firsts” this launch represents on the global stage. But there are a lot of important moments before that which will have me jumping out of my seat. Even before we release the vehicle, I’m excited to show the word we have an all-star team who is capable of pulling off seamless launch ops from our firing room. Then, of course, the rocket clearing the pad a few seconds after liftoff will feel incredible, and getting 3-sigma statistically clear of the pad 42 seconds into flight is a big moment.
But the key inflection in my mind is surpassing Max-Q, about 80 seconds into flight. We have already proven on the ground what we hope to prove in-flight – that when dynamic pressures and stresses on the vehicle are highest, 3D printed structures can withstand these forces. This will essentially prove the viability of using additive manufacturing tech to produce products that fly. We already effectively did this in ground testing, pushing and prodding well above this max stress successfully on both stages in a simulated worst-case flying environment, and have tested over 12,000 seconds of engine hot fires across dozens of articles - so I think we’ve done this already, but in flight of course is the most visceral proof.
All that said, as a customer-focused launch services company, we aren’t truly in charge of defining success for this launch. Our customers will really be our deciding jury. They may view this launch as a success once we prove the vehicle’s structural integrity at Max-Q, but they may also be looking to later stages of flight, like stage separation, and then 2nd stage engine ignition. The goal is to provide our customers with confidence in us and our abilities, especially with $1.65 billion in customer launch contracts already signed overwhelmingly for our larger reusable rocket Terran R, and billions more in our pipeline. Medium-heavy lift is clearly where the biggest market opportunity is for the remaining decade, with a massive launch shortage in this payload class underway.
If on our inaugural Terran 1 launch we encounter issues that are more commonplace with rocket launches – rocket science problems and not additive-related problems – we’ll ask those customers for input. Do they want us to continue down the path of producing more Terran 1’s to solve for those issues on this vehicle? Or, would like us to solve the remaining rocket science problems on the vehicle they are actually most interested in, Terran R?
No matter the outcome tomorrow, we are still in the early innings of a 9-inning ballgame. This launch won’t singularly define our long-term success. We have now tested our Aeon R engine chamber and major components at 100% power through many tests, have built our first full engine, continue to make significant progress on Terran R development over the past several years, and improve our additive technology - there is lots in the hopper. This launch will, however, provide us with useful data and insights that will make us better prepared for our next at-bat, and is a fantastic learning platform for developing technologies directly applicable to Terran R, giving us a lot of confidence we are ahead in the race to become the next great launch company. Excited to show the world what we’ve got! 🚀 🌟 🌌 🌎
Sending positive launch energy to @relativityspace. As you prepare for your big day tomorrow, your friends at Firefly are cheering you on. Getting to this point is a huge accomplishment and something everyone in this small industry celebrates.
Hazard area for Relativity's debut launch from LC-16 (1300 to 1600 EST tomorrow) is out:
Relativity is ready for its first-ever launch with Terran 1 poised to fly from Cape Canaveral on Wednesday. The world’s first 3D-printed rocket will aim to become also the first methane-fueled vehicle to reach orbit.Three-hour window opens at 1:00 p.m. ET March 8.
Relativity’s Terran 1 ready for flight as soon as tomorrow. Three-hour window opens at 1:00 p.m. ET Wednesday.
Best of luck tomorrow. Can’t wait to see the whole team succeed!
Launch dayGodspeed, Relativity and Terran 1
it’s a good day to LAUNCH
Terran 1 is vertical on the pad at our historic Launch Complex 16. Follow, here for real-time updates. #GLHF
It's the day for Relativity Space's first orbital launch attempt! Terran 1 has a chance to become both the first 3D-printed rocket and the first methane-fueled rocket to reach orbit.Article by Anthony Iemole (@SpaceXFan97):
Good things come to those who wait. We are working through a new T-0 time and will share an update on the start of our live webcast programming soon. Stay tuned. #GLHF
Propellant load on #Terran1 is underway ahead of its first launch. #GLHF
Range green, vehicle is healthy, and we are progressing well towards launch.✅
