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Relativity Space

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Relativity Space
Company typePrivate
Industry
Founded2015; 9 years ago (2015)[1]
Founders
Headquarters
Los Angeles, California, US
Products
  • Aeon 1
  • Stargate
  • Terran 1
  • Terran R
ServicesOrbital launch
Number of employees
c. 400+[2] (2021)
Websiterelativityspace.com
Part of a series on
Private spaceflight
Active companies
Active vehicles
Contracts and programs
Related

Relativity Space is an American aerospace manufacturing[not verified in body] company headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 2015 by Tim Ellis and Jordan Noone.[3] Relativity Space is developing manufacturing technologies, launch vehicles and rocket engines for commercial orbital launch services.[4]

History

Relativity Space was founded by CEO Tim Ellis and CTO Jordan Noone on the idea that existing NewSpace companies were not tapping enough into the potential of additive manufacturing (3D printing).[5] Relativity is aiming to be the first company to successfully launch a fully 3D-printed launch vehicle into orbit.[6]

In November 2020, Relativity Space announced its US$500 million Series D funding at US$2.3 billion valuation,[7] bringing its total funding amount to US$685.7 million by December 2020.[8] In June 2021 Relativity announced another US$650 million funding round led by Fidelity Investments at a valuation of US$4.2 billion, bringing its total funding to US$1.335 billion.[9] The funding will help the development of a fully reusable medium lift launch vehicle, the Terran R, targeting the first orbital launch not earlier than 2024.[10]

The company anticipates it will launch its first rocket, named Terran 1, in the fall of 2021.[5]

Facilities

Headquarters

Relativity Space announced a new 11,000-square-metre (120,000 sq ft) Long Beach, California headquarters and factory in February 2020.[11] As of February 2020, the new headquarters is planned to house both business operations and Relativity's autonomous development operations that the company plans to build into a modern rocket manufacturing factory in the coming years.[12] According to an interview with CEO Tim Ellis in early 2020, the factory is planned to have no fixed tooling, which is hoped to allow it to be rapidly reconfigured and autonomous.[13] A new 93,000-square-metre (1,000,000 sq ft) factory was announced in June 2021, with Relativity set to takeover the former Boeing C-17 production plant in January 2022 to begin production of its Terran R reusable launch vehicle.[14]

Stennis Space Center

E Test Complex (foreground) at the Stennis Space Center, where Relativity conducts Aeon 1 test firings.[7]

In March 2018, Relativity Space signed a 20-year lease at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, a NASA rocket testing facility, to test engine components and eventually full-scale test their Aeon 1 rocket engines.[3][7] And in June 2019, Relativity Space expanded their work with the Stennis Space Center to include exclusive use of 20,000 m2 (220,000 sq ft) within Building 9101.[15] In mid-2019, Relativity Space planned to create 200 jobs and invest US$59 million in Mississippi over the course of this nine-year lease, which carries an option to extend for another 10 years.[15][needs update]

Cape Canaveral LC-16

In January 2019, Relativity Space announced that it won a competitive bidding process with the United States Air Force to build and operate Launch Complex 16 (LC-16) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.[16] LC-16 has historical significance having been previously used by the US military to launch Titan and Pershing ballistic missiles.[16][needs update]

Vandenberg Space Force Base Building 330

In June 2020, Relativity Space announced it plans to develop a second launch pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California to launch payloads into polar orbits and Sun-synchronous orbits, including the Iridium satellite launches, between 2023 and 2030.[17]

Products

Rocket engines

Aeon 1

The Aeon 1 rocket engine is designed to produce 23,000 pounds-force (100,000 N) at sea level and 25,400 pounds-force (113,000 N) in a vacuum. The engine is powered by liquid natural gas (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LOX). It is made out of a proprietary 3D-printed alloy. It is printed by selective laser sintering and assembled from fewer than 100 parts.[18] By March 2018, Relativity Space had completed more than 500 test firings of its Aeon 1 engine[19], using the E-3 test facility at NASA's Stennis Space Center.[7]

Aeon R

The rocket engine Aeon R is under development to produce 302,000 pounds-force (1,300 kN) of thrust. It will be the main engine of the Terran R first stage.[10]

Launch vehicles

Terran 1

Terran 1 is an expendable launch vehicle under development that will consist of two stages. As of 2020, the first stage was planned to use nine Aeon 1 engines, while the second stage was being planned to use a single Aeon 1 engine. The maximum payload was expected to be 1,250 kg (2,760 lb) to 185 km (115 mi) low Earth orbit (LEO), normal payload 900 kg (2,000 lb) to 500 km (310 mi) Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), high-altitude payload 700 kg (1,500 lb) to 1,200 km (750 mi) SSO. Relativity's advertised launch price was US$12 million per Terran 1 mission in June 2020.[17] In May 2019, Relativity hoped to make the first launch of Terran 1 in the third quarter of 2021.[20]

Terran R

The Terran R is a fully reusable launch vehicle under development designed to compete with SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. The first stage will use seven Aeon R engines, while the second stage will used an upgraded Aeon 1 engine with a copper chamber.[21] With this design, Relativity is aiming to exceed the Falcon 9 payload to low-Earth orbit by approximately 20 percent, with a target payload mass as of June 2021 of approximately 20 tonnes (44,000 lb), with a long term goal to make the first orbital launch as early as 2024.[22]

Stargate

In order to 3D print large components, Relativity Space has created a system named Stargate, which it claims is the world's largest 3D printer of metals.[23][24] Stargate uses existing welding technology to melt metal wire, layer by layer, into precise and complex structures that have minimal joints and parts.[25] The company aims at 3D-printing at least 95% of their launcher, including the engines, by the end of 2020.[24][needs update] The company plans to eventually 3D-print a complete launch vehicle within 60 days.[26][7]

Launch contracts

As of June 2020, Relativity Space has pre-sold more launches than any other company in the private space industry since SpaceX.[27]

Timeline of publicly announced launch contracts

On 5 April 2019, Relativity Space announced its first signed contract. This contract was with Telesat, the Canadian telecom satellite operator. The terms of this contract were not specified, but it did include "multiple" launches of Terran 1.[28]

Relativity Space publicly announced their contract with mu Space in April 2019. It is expected that Relativity Space will launch a mu Space satellite to low Earth orbit in the second half of 2022, aboard Relativity's Terran 1 rocket.[29]

In May 2019, Relativity Space signed a contract with Spaceflight Industries, a satellite rideshare and mission management provider, to launch Spaceflight's dedicated smallsat rideshares. The terms of this deal were not disclosed, however, it was shared that the contract included one launch of Relativity's Terran 1 rocket in the third quarter of 2021, with an option for an unspecified number of additional launches.[20]

In September 2019, Relativity Space and Momentus Space announced their launch service agreement at the 2019 World Satellite Business Week in Paris. The agreement stated that Relativity's Terran 1 launch vehicles will carry Momentus' Vigoride space tug service vehicles into orbit. The contract is for one launch, with an option for five additional missions.[30]

In June 2020, Relativity Space announced that they signed a new launch contract with Iridium.[27] This contract included up to six dedicated launches to deploy ground spare satellites to low Earth orbit (LEO) for Iridium NEXT's constellation on Relativity's Terran 1 vehicle. According to Suzi McBride, Iridium's COO, the satellite communication provider chose to partner with Relativity Space because of their flexible launch capability and the company's ability to launch one satellite at a time.[31] According to the deal these launches will not begin earlier than 2023.[31]

Lockheed Martin announced on 16 October 2020, that it will launch a cryogenic liquid hydrogen management demonstration mission on Terran 1. Lockheed Martin also specified that the launch will make use of Momentus' Vigoride orbital transfer vehicle to house the cryogenic payload.[32] This announcement came two days after NASA announced the recipients of its Tipping Point awards.[33]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Accelerating the future of space, faster". Relativity Space. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Relativity Space Raises $650M to Scale Terran R Production". Relativity Space (Press release). 8 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  3. ^ a b Eric Berger (21 March 2018). "Relativity Space reveals its ambitions with big NASA deal". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 20 December 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  4. ^ Shieber, Jonathan (11 September 2019). "Relativity Space signs the satellite transportation company Momentus as a new customer". Tech Crunch. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  5. ^ a b Berger, Eric (3 March 2020). "Relativity Space has big dreams. Is the company for real?". Ars Technica. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  6. ^ Perez, Denrie Caila (29 April 2020). "Relativity Space to Launch First 3D-Printed Rocket". Engineering.com. Archived from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d e Sheetz, Michael (23 November 2020). "Relativity Space adds $500 million to 'war chest' for scaling production of 3D-printed rockets". CNBC. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  8. ^ "Relativity Space". Crunchbase. Archived from the original on 21 October 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  9. ^ "Relativity Space launches its valuation to $4.2B with $650M in new funding". TechCrunch. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Relativity raises $650 million round, announces Terran R rocket". SpaceNews. 8 June 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  11. ^ Foust, Jeff (28 February 2020). "Relativity to move headquarters to Long Beach". SpaceNews. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  12. ^ Wall, Mike (28 February 2020). "Relativity Space will 3D-print rockets at new autonomous factory in Long Beach, California". Space.com. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  13. ^ Coldewey, Devin (28 February 2020). "Relativity Space Expands its Rocket Printing Operations into an Enormous New Long Beach HQ". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 17 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  14. ^ Sheetz, Michael (30 June 2021). "3D printer Relativity Space is expanding, with giant new facility to build reusable rockets". CNBC. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  15. ^ a b Annlee, Ellingson (11 June 2019). "Relativity to build 3D rocket factory in Mississippi". L.A. Biz. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  16. ^ a b Grush, Loren (17 January 2019). "Aerospace startup making 3D-printed rockets now has a launch site at America's busiest spaceport". The Verge. Archived from the original on 26 June 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  17. ^ a b "Relativity books up to six launches for Iridium, reveals plans for Vandenberg pad". Spaceflight Now. 24 June 2020. Archived from the original on 25 June 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  18. ^ TMRO:Space - Relativity: How to print a rocket on Earth and Mars - Orbit 11.19 on YouTube
  19. ^ "Relativity Space". Relativity Space. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  20. ^ a b Foust, Jeff (6 May 2019). "Spaceflight signs contract with Relativity for launches". SpaceNews. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  21. ^ Sheetz, Michael (25 February 2021). "Relativity Space unveils a reusable, 3D-printed rocket to compete with SpaceX's Falcon 9". CNBC. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  22. ^ Berger, Eric (8 June 2021). "Relativity has a bold plan to take on SpaceX, and investors are buying it". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  23. ^ Foust, Jeff (5 December 2017). "Relativity Space aims to 3D print entire launch vehicles". SpaceNews. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  24. ^ a b Mosher, Dave (22 October 2018). "Defectors from SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Tesla are developing a remarkable technology called 'Stargate' to help colonize other planets". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 23 October 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  25. ^ Salmi, Bryce (25 August 2019). "The World's Largest 3D Metal Printer Is Churning Out Rockets". IEEE Spectrum. Archived from the original on 28 December 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  26. ^ Johnson, Jennifer (16 May 2018). "Rocket Plan: How 3-D Printing Is Unlocking A New Space Race". Forbes. Archived from the original on 23 October 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  27. ^ a b Coldewey, Devin (24 June 2020). "Relativity Space gains new customer in Iridium and new launch site at Vandenberg". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 17 August 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  28. ^ Berger, Eric (5 April 2019). "Relativity Space announces first launch contract, and it's a big one". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  29. ^ Howell, Elizabeth (23 April 2019). "A 3D-Printed Rocket Will Launch A Thai Satellite Into Space". Forbes. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  30. ^ "Relativity Space Signs Launch Services Agreement for Multiple Launches with Momentus on Terran 1, World's First 3D Printed Rocket". businesswire.com. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  31. ^ a b Machi, Vivienne (24 June 2020). "Relativity Space Signs Launch Contract with Iridium, Plans West Coast Launch Site". Satellite Today. Archived from the original on 17 August 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  32. ^ "Cryogenic fluid management is a key "tipping point" technology to get humans to the Moon, Mars and Beyond". Lockheed Martin. 16 October 2020. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  33. ^ "2020 NASA Tipping Point Selections". NASA. 14 October 2020. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
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