Relativity Space reveals fully reusable medium lift launch vehicle Terran R

[Huxter]

Relativity Space reveals fully reusable medium lift launch vehicle Terran R - NASASpaceFlight.com

It reads kinda like Relativity is looking down their nose at SpaceX?? Pretty cool tho!

Relativity Space, leveraging their 3D printing technology, has announced the next step towards supporting multiplanetary spaceflight: a fully reusable, medium lift launch vehicle named Terran R.

The company’s second launch vehicle, succeeding the Terran 1 rocket to debut later this year, will have more payload capacity than the partially reusable SpaceX Falcon 9, and is only the second fully reusable commercial launch vehicle to be revealed publicly after SpaceX’s Starship.

The two stage Terran R rocket will be 216 feet (65.8 meters) tall and 16 feet (4.9 meters) in diameter. The second stage features aerodynamic surfaces which will enable recovery and reuse, in addition to a reusable 5 meter diameter payload fairing. Terran R will be capable of delivering over 20,000 kilograms to Low Earth Orbit in its reusable configuration, beating Falcon 9’s 15,600 kilograms with drone ship recovery.

 

[cerving]

Press releases and pretty pictures aren't the real thing... we'll see. By the time they get this going, SpaceX will probably be on the way to Mars...

 

[Engineer457]

Has Relativity Space had any other 3d printed spacecraft before? As I remember, it's the first spacecraft that is made using this technology. That's why think they need the time and experience of other companies to produce a high-quality vehicle. One British aerospace manufacturer Skyrora succeed in using 3d printing. Skyrora XL is the first and the most successful launch vehicle that is manufactured by 3d printed machine. I don't know what about the coating, but I certainly know that engine is 3d printed.

 

[kuririn]

They have test fired their Aeon 1 rocket engine some 300 times .


They also built their own 3D metal printer called Stargate.
Purportedly the largest metal 3D printer in the world.
It uses a proprietary metal alloy.
This gives a good summary of what they have been doing over the past 5 years>


They are scheduled to launch their first rocket, the Terran 1 (not R) in the fall of this year.
Wishing them success.

 

[kuririn]

Time lapse of the Terran 1 second stage being 3D printed.


Gee, they're gonna need a big grinder to knock down those ridges before painting, huh?

 

[rharshberger]

Time lapse of the Terran 1 second stage being 3D printed.


Gee, they're gonna need a big grinder to knock down those ridges before painting, huh?

Im thinkin more about the..."oh crap the nozzles plugged" 58 days into a 60 day print (or insert other common 3d printing issue that ruins an entire print).

 

[kuririn]

Im thinkin more about the..."oh crap the nozzles plugged" 58 days into a 60 day print (or insert other common 3d printing issue that ruins an entire print).

1. What? You loaded the wrong filament? Aargghh!
2. Power outage on the 58th day.
3. Spool runs out.
(Said tongue in cheek cuz even my entry level printer can pause and continue in the event of a power outage or end of filament).

Looking at the time lapse, it appears the bed also moves (rotating), as well as the print head.
We'll see if the product holds up to flight testing.

 

[Peartree]

As I remember, it's the first spacecraft that is made using this technology.

I don't know. It seems to be all about semantics and how companies word things. SpaceX doesn't usually use the phrase "3D printing" but employs engineers with that in their job titles (or at least you can find ads described that way). SpaceX prefers to use the phrase "additive manufacturing" and "laser sintering" to describe the process that is what most of us would call "3D printing" that they have used to reduce parts counts and assembly time and increase reliability.

 

[boatgeek]

Has Relativity Space had any other 3d printed spacecraft before? As I remember, it's the first spacecraft that is made using this technology. That's why think they need the time and experience of other companies to produce a high-quality vehicle. One British aerospace manufacturer Skyrora succeed in using 3d printing. Skyrora XL is the first and the most successful launch vehicle that is manufactured by 3d printed machine. I don't know what about the coating, but I certainly know that engine is 3d printed.

I believe that all of the big players are using/planning 3D printed parts in their engines. The SpaceX Super Dracos are all or mostly 3D printed. I don't think I've heard of anyone 3D printing a spacecraft though.

Not to be all curmudgeonly, but what does 3D printing bring to the game that more traditional technologies (esp. friction stir welding) don't? Do they see a significant weight savings for the same strength?

 

[Antares JS]

Not to be all curmudgeonly, but what does 3D printing bring to the game that more traditional technologies (esp. friction stir welding) don't? Do they see a significant weight savings for the same strength?

What I've usually heard touted in Relativity's case is lower labor cost with more of the production automated.

 

[kuririn]

Not to be all curmudgeonly, but what does 3D printing bring to the game that more traditional technologies (esp. friction stir welding) don't? Do they see a significant weight savings for the same strength?

For the tanks, instead of a Y joint welded to a tank cap shoulder you can 3D print the entire assembly.
Stronger one piece joint, no welding.
Also go from design to fabrication in the time it takes you to draw up and load the design in the application.
No tooling to create first.
Saves time and money.
Biggest hang up was creating the 3D printer in the first place. Took two years.

 

[kuririn]

Stealth6 posted an interesting video about Relativity Space. Goes into detail about the technology of 3D printing rockets. The CEO is very young and very bright:
Check THIS 3D printed rocket..... | The Rocketry Forum