Relativity Space's first launch of 3D-printed Terran rocket scheduled for March

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Relativity Space, the 3D printing company that produces rockets based on the cutting-edge process, is targeting March for the first flight of its Terran vehicle from Florida.

Dubbed "Good Luck, Have Fun" or "GLHF," the Wednesday, March 8, mission will not only mark the 110-foot Terran 1 rocket's debut launch, but also the company's first overall. Liftoff is set for 1 p.m. EST.

Relativity will use its pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Launch Complex 16, which has seen extensive renovations and upgrades since it was leased from the Air Force in 2019. Because it's a demonstration mission, the rocket won't fly with a customer payload.

Relativity had planned on test firing the rocket's Aeon-1 engines one last time before flight, but in a statement, the company said teams had run enough tests to feel confident in the hardware. Plus, continually stressing the rocket with test after test could cause more issues along the way.

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At 110 feet in height, Terran is a smaller rocket, but Relativity also plans on building a larger vehicle named Terran R. That would compete with SpaceX's Falcon 9 and United Launch Alliance's Atlas V and Vulcan Centaur, the last of which is set for its flight in the first half of this year.

Despite that smaller size, it will become the largest 3D printed object to attempt an orbital mission once it takes flight. Roughly 85% of the rocket's mass is 3D printed; Relativity hopes to increase that to 95% for future rockets.

Terran's components are printed and assembled at the company's massive 1 million-square-foot headquarters in Long Beach, California, before transport to Florida via semitrailer. It uses nine Aeon engines on the first stage, one on the upper stage, and a mix of liquid natural gas (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LOX) as its propellants.

For the latest, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule.

Contact Emre Kelly at aekelly@floridatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @EmreKelly.

Relativity Space's Terran 1 first stage is seen in the company's hangar at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station after arriving at Launch Complex 16 on Sunday, June 5, 2022. The company is still targeting before the end of 2022 for its first launch.