Relativity Space Ready for Maiden Launch of 1st 3D Printed Rocket March 8 – Terran 1 from Space Coast: Photos

Relativity Space Ready for Maiden Launch of 1st 3D Printed Rocket March 8 – Terran 1 from Space Coast: Photos
Relativity Space Terran 1 3D printed rocket targeting March 8 2023 for maiden liftoff.  SpaceX Falcon 9 4x recycled 15-story-tall booster B106 landing legs deploy for LZ-1 landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station 8 minutes after spectacular sunset liftoff of 40 OneWeb internet comsats at 5:27 p.m. Dec. 8, 2022 from pad 39A on the Kennedy Space Center. As 1st Relativity Terran 1 rocket (110 ft tall) stands erect at right on Launch Complex 16 (LC-16) on Cape Canaveral.  View as seen from historic Launch Complex-34 (LC-34). Blue Origin pad 36 in background. Credit: Ken Kremer/Space UpClose

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL –  California-based Relativity Space, a New Space startup, is targeting Wednesday afternoon, March 8, for launch of the world’s first almost entirely 3D printed rocket –  namely the maiden Terran 1 from Florida’s Space Coast.

The weather looks to be outstanding

Liftoff of Terran 1 is targeted for a 3 hour long launch window that opens at 1 p.m. ET, March 8 from Space Launch Complex-16 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

The launch window runs until 4 p.m. ET  (1800 GMT).

You can watch the launch live at Relativity Space broadcast:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YAlOGZM32U

The Space UpClose team of Ken Kremer and Jean Wright will be watching from Jetty Park Beach.

The rocket is nicknamed called “Good luck, have fun” or GLHF

Terran means ‘of the Earth.’

The weather forecast is forecast to be >90% GO by Space Force weather forecasters

No payload is aboard for this maiden orbital launch attempt.

Relativity Space Terran 1 3D printed rocket targeting March 8 2023 for maiden liftoff. 1st Relativity Terran 1 rocket (110 ft tall) stands erect at right on Launch Complex 16 (LC-16) on Cape Canaveral. View as seen from historic Launch Complex-34 (LC-34). Blue Origin pad 36 in background. Credit: Ken Kremer/Space UpClose

It will roar off the pad in an easterly trajectory and targeting a low Earth orbit (LEO) and achieving an altitude of more than 124 miles (200 km) and an inclination of 28.5 degrees to the equator.

“This launch of Terran 1 is the first orbital attempt by Relativity and will not include a customer payload,” says Relativity Space.

“Terran 1 is the largest 3D printed object to attempt orbital flight.”

Relativity Space Terran 1 3D printed rocket targeting March 8 2023 for maiden liftoff.  SpaceX Falcon 9 4x recycled 15-story-tall booster B106 landing legs deploy for LZ-1 landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station 8 minutes after spectacular sunset liftoff of 40 OneWeb internet comsats at 5:27 p.m. Dec. 8, 2022 from pad 39A on the Kennedy Space Center. As 1st Relativity Terran 1 rocket (110 ft tall) stands erect at right on Launch Complex 16 (LC-16) on Cape Canaveral.  View as seen from historic Launch Complex-34 (LC-34). Blue Origin pad 36 in background. Credit: Ken Kremer/Space UpClose

This inaugural Terran 1 rocket is about 85% 3D printed and Relativity Space hopes to increase that to about 95% in the future

The advantages of 3D printing is that the rocket has far fewer moving parts and reliability should be significantly improved – with the goal of vastly reducing the cost of access to space

In the future the hope is that 3D printed rockets could be manufactured directly and more easily on the Moon and Mars – slashing costs

The two stage expendable Relativity Space Terran 1 rocket stands 110-foot-tall (33.5-meter) and 7.5 ft wide

We saw Terran 1 vertical at pad 16 while it was standing erect and undergoing testing at pad 16 – at the same time as SpaceX was landing a Falcon 9 first stage boost at Landing Zone-1 a few miles away from our vantage point at Space Launch Complex-34 watching the SpaceX OneWeb launch last December 2022

The Terran 1 rocket is fueled by liquid methane natural gas (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LOX).

The first stage is powered by nine 3D printed Aeon engines and one Aeon Vac on its second stage.

“Like its structure, all Relativity engines are entirely 3D printed, and use liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid natural gas (LNG), which are not only the best for rocket propulsion, but also for reusability, and the easiest to eventually transition to methane on Mars.”

Follow along for updates on Relativity’s lead up to launch:

https://twitter.com/relativityspace

The first stage thrust generates about 207,000 pounds of liftoff thrust

The cost of the rocket is some $12 million

 

Here is a Terran-1 launch timeline from Spaceflight Now

COUNTDOWN TIMELINE

  • T-minus 7 hours: Vehicle power-up and checkouts
  • T-minus 4 hours: Personnel clear the launch pad; Methane and liquid oxygen loading begins
  • T-minus 60 minutes: Propellant loading complete
  • T-minus 16 minutes: Launch director performs pre-launch readiness poll
  • T-minus 10 minutes: Automated countdown sequence begins

In the final 10 minutes of the countdown, the Terran 1 rocket’s nine methane-fueled Aeon 1 engines will be thermally conditioned for flight through a procedure known as chilldown. The ignitors will be primed, and the Terran 1 will switch from its ground power supply to internal power. The strongback at the launch pad will be partially retracted in the final minutes before launch.

  • T-minus 1 minute, 10 seconds: Terminal countdown begins to run checks for launch commit criteria
  • T-minus 6 seconds: Ignition of Terran 1’s nine Aeon 1 main engines; Automated health check begins
  • T-minus 0 seconds: Four hold-down devices release the Terran 1 rocket for liftoff
Relativity Space’s 110-foot-tall (33.5-meter) Terran 1 rocket on its launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Credit: Relativity Space / Trevor Mahlmann

Watch Ken’s commentary about NASA. Project Artemis SLS and Orion, SpaceX Falcon Heavy, Crew-5 & 6, NASA SpaceX Crew & Cargo Dragons and more

Mar 8/9: WFTV ABC News and Fox 35 New Orlando pre and post scrub interview about maiden Terran 1 launch attempt:

https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/i-will-be-here-scrubbed-3d-printed-rocket-launch-isnt-turning-people-away-from-second-try

Mar 7: WFTV ABC News Orlando interview about upcoming maiden #Terran1 launch by Relativity Space on Mar 8

https://www.wftv.com/news/video-3-rocket-launches-planned-floridas-space-coast-this-week/90d4e160-806f-49fd-b7d9-04d46a2c9402/

Mar 6/7: WFTV ABC News Orlando interview about upcoming maiden #Terran1 launch by Relativity Space on Mar 8 from pad 16 CCSFS. Worlds 1st 3D printed rocket:

https://www.wftv.com/news/video-first-3d-printed-rocket-set-blast-off-space-coast-this-week/bab1dd1f-6927-45c9-8359-e1e7d7a08e99/

 

Mar 2: Fox 35 Orlando live interview about the Crew-6 mission launch to the ISS

Feb 26/27/28: On 3 local Networks CBS WKMG , ABC WFTV and Fox 35 Orlando -I did series of live and taped interviews pre and post scrub explaining why NASA  SpaceX Crew6 astronaut launch to ISS was scrubbed at T Minus 2 minutes to keep the crew and rocket safe and what needs to be done to resolve the issue why TEA-TEB (triethylaluminum triethylboron) igniter fluid failed to fully load on Falcon 9 rocket

 

 

Feb 9/10:  WFTV ABC News Orlando interview about SpaceX Starship successful static fire test of 31 Raptor engines at Boca Chica

https://www.wftv.com/news/local/brevard-county/spacex-completes-successful-static-fire-test-33-engine-starship-booster/LDYL2CDXS5ETHG7TGG2RH2JV7I/

Feb 8/9:  WFTV ABC News Orlando interview about how NASA needs a definitive and fully funded plan to deorbit the ISS safely in case of an emergency and serious debris hit causing it to lose control b4 it’s terminated in 2030- in light of the recent Soyuz crew capsule leak from micrometeoroid impact

 

 

Jan 3/4: WFTV ABC News Orlando interview about Jan 3 SpaceX Transporter 6 launch – 1st of 2023 – and record setting year ahead with many exciting missions for NASA and private astronauts, science probes, mission, US Space Force, new rockets like ULA Vulcan & more!

 

Dec 28/29: Fox 35 Orlando – Watch my commentary about NASA’s fantastic success in space exploration in 2022 and ambitious schedule of whats ahead in 2023:

https://www.fox35orlando.com/video/1159922

Dec 11/12: BBC World News TV interview about  successful splashdown of NASA Orion concluding the 25 day Artemis 1 lunar test flight around the Moon and back, and how that sets up a human return to the Moon on Artemis 2 and landing on Artemis 3. Plus what’s beyond for NASA deep space exploration to Mars and the search for life beyond Earth

https://youtu.be/Qw4NPkgZ7HE

Watch Ken’s continuing reports about Artemis, SpaceX missions, SLS, Orion and NASA missions, SpaceX Crew and Cargo Dragons, SpaceX Axiom, JWST, DART, Lucy Asteroid mission, GOES, SpaceX Starlink, Commercial Crew and Starliner and Crew Dragon, Blue Origin and Space Tourism, and onsite for live reporting of upcoming and recent SpaceX and ULA launches including Crew 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5, ISS, Solar Orbiter, Mars 2020 Perseverance and Curiosity rovers, NRO spysats and national security missions and more at the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

 

Stay tuned here for Ken’s continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com

Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics.
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Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events

Please consider supporting Ken’s work by purchasing his photos and/or donating at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/kenkremer

Upcoming and recent space events and talks by Ken Kremer & Jean Wright

Jan 21-28: Carnival Cruise Ship Mardi Gras: “What Happening at NASA and Space Exploration” & SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 5-2 launch viewing party Jan 26

 

Jan 12, 2023: 10 AM at Westminster Retirement Center in Orlando/Winter Park, Florida: Presentation by Jean Wright – “Sew Sister to the Stars- How the Humble Art of Sewing Transformed the World of Flight”+ Artemis 1 Moon rocket update

 

 

Nov 29 at UCF, Orlando Florida: Presentation by Jean Wright – “Sew Sister to the Stars- How the Humble Art of Sewing Transformed the World of Flight”

Mar 1, 2; Feb 4, 11, 24, 25, 26; Jan 7,11- 2023; from 7 to 9 PM Quality Inn, Titusville, FL:  Join Ken and Jean for Artemis 1, Falcon Heavy and space mission and rocket launch outreach. Ask us anything. plus display our photos and space apparel items for sale

Terran 1 Timeline. Relativity Space/SpaceFlight Now

 

 

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Ken Kremer

Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and more space and mission reports direct from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news. Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics. Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events.

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