Relativity Space’s 3D-Printed Terran 1 Rocket Fails To Achieve Orbit On Debut Launch

Relativity Space, a startup that aims to revolutionize the space industry with 3D-printed rockets, suffered a partial setback on Wednesday night when its first orbital launch attempt ended short of achieving all mission goals.

The company's Terran 1 rocket, which it claims is the world's first 3D-printed rocket, lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 11:28 p.m. ET. The 110-foot-tall (33.5-meter) vehicle was powered by nine Aeon 1 engines that use super-chilled methane and oxygen as propellants.

The launch was nicknamed "Good Luck Have Fun" (GLHF), a reference to a common phrase used by gamers before starting a match. The mission was intended to demonstrate the capabilities of Relativity's technology and deliver a dummy payload of a failed early metal additive printed (3D print) structure to orbit. The metal object was in lieu of sending a customer payload on an early test flight.

The first stage of the rocket separated as planned, but the second stage engine failed to ignite properly, leaving the vehicle without enough thrust to reach orbital velocity. The upper stage and its payload fell back into the Atlantic Ocean. The company had set expectations early that the mission's main goal was simply to achieve controlled flight past the Max-Q (maximum dynamic pressure) milestone on ascent. By that criteria the mission was a success.

Video of Terran 1 Rocket Launch Failure

Relativity Space CEO Tim Ellis said in a statement that the company was disappointed by the outcome but proud of what it had achieved so far.

"We made history tonight by launching the world's first 3D-printed rocket," he said. "We learned a lot from this flight and we will apply those lessons to improve our Terran 1 vehicle for future missions."

Ellis added that Relativity had already identified the root cause of the engine issue and was confident that it could fix it quickly.

Relativity Space is one of several companies that are developing reusable rockets to lower the cost and increase the frequency of space launches. Unlike traditional rockets that are built with thousands of parts and require extensive assembly, Relativity's rockets are made with fewer than 100 parts and can be printed in days using a process that builds up layers of material forming a so-called 3D print, also commonly called additive manufacturing.

The company also plans to launch a larger and fully reusable rocket called Terran R, which will be capable of carrying up to 20,000 kg (44,000 lb) of payload to low Earth orbit. Relativity has already secured contracts with several customers for both Terran 1 and Terran R launches, including NASA, Lockheed Martin and Impulse Space.

Relativity hopes to resume its launch operations later this year and achieve its goal of reaching orbit on its next attempt, according to a company statement.