/sci/ - Science & Math

>>15346118

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/12/relativity-all-in-on-terran-r-rocket-shifting-3d-printing-approach.html

> The company is currently talking to NASA about an upcoming mission that it no longer expects to fly on Terran 1. It’s already moved other customers over to Terran R.

>Although Relativity expects it will be another three years until Terran R debuts, with a target goal of 2026, the company has so far won launch deals from seven customers worth over $1.6 billion for future flights on the rocket.

>“We have won 100% of the commercial contracts we’ve gone after to date against other competitors,” Ellis emphasized.

> Since Ellis unveiled plans for Terran R two years ago, the rocket’s design has continued to evolve. But Relativity’s update on Wednesday features its most dramatic change yet, with the 3D-printing specialist incorporating an aluminum alloy into the rocket’s initial models through manufacturing “tank straight-section barrels” – a practice that is more traditionally common in aerospace.

>Relativity made a name for itself with its 3D-printing approach to manufacturing rockets, building massive additive manufacturing machines. The company 3D-printed about 85% of the mass of its Terran 1 rocket, and previously planned to get that number above 90%. Ellis declined to specify what percent of Terran R will now be 3D-printed in the company’s new “hybrid manufacturing approach,” emphasizing instead that the shift is to prioritize its timeline to first launch.

> Relativity plans to add on to its existing facility in Cape Canaveral in preparation for Terran R launches. The rockets will be built at its 1-million-square-foot factory in Long Beach, called “The Wormhole.” Ellis estimated Relativity will be capable of producing upwards of 45 rockets a year from that facility.