3D Printing – Spaceflight Now

Relativity’s 3D-printed Terran 1 rocket reaches space, but falls short of orbit

March 22, 2023 Stephen Clark

Relativity Space, a company with ambitions to develop a fully reusable rocket, launched its first expendable methane-fueled booster from Cape Canaveral Wednesday night, successfully demonstrating the strength of the launcher’s first-of-its-kind 3D-printed structure but failing to reach orbit after a malfunction on the test flight’s second stage.

Good weather expected for Relativity Space’s late-night launch attempt

March 21, 2023 Stephen Clark

Relativity Space will try a third time to launch a 3D-printed rocket from Cape Canaveral Wednesday night, and weather forecasters predict a 95% chance of favorable conditions for the late-night test flight.

Relativity scores $140 million funding round for smallsat launcher

October 3, 2019 Stephen Clark

Relativity Space says it has secured $140 million in new funding from venture capital firms and private investors, enough to carry the company’s 3D-printed small satellite launcher through its first orbital flight from Cape Canaveral in early 2021.

Made in Space wins NASA contract to 3D-print satellite structures in orbit

July 14, 2019 Stephen Clark

NASA awarded a $73.7 million contract Friday to the California-based startup Made in Space for a 3D-printing demonstration using a free-flying small satellite to additively manufacture solar array beams in space.

Relativity Space obtains Air Force approval for Cape Canaveral launch pad

January 18, 2019 Stephen Clark

Launch startup Relativity Space has won approval from the U.S. Air Force to take over a disused launch pad at Cape Canaveral for the company’s methane-fueled Terran 1 rocket, a 3D-printed launcher that could carry small satellites into orbit by the end of 2020.

Q&A with Tim Ellis, CEO and co-founder of Relativity Space (members only)

January 17, 2019 Stephen Clark

Relativity Space’s co-founder and chief executive says his company is working on innovations in manufacturing and rocket technology, and plans to use 3D printing at unprecedented scale in the space industry to ease access to space for a range of satellite operators, joining a fray of smallsat launchers saturating the market.

Photos: Antares rocket fires into space from Virginia’s Eastern Shore

November 21, 2018 Stephen Clark

Look back on the launch Saturday of a Northrop Grumman Antares rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia, powered by a pair of kerosene-fueled RD-181 engines producing 864,000 pounds of thrust.

Space station receives second of back-to-back cargo deliveries

November 19, 2018 Stephen Clark

Wrapping up a two-day chase since launching from Virginia’s Eastern Shore, a commercial Cygnus cargo craft arrived at the International Space Station Monday with more than 7,200 pounds of supplies and experiments, the second freighter to reach the orbiting complex in 15 hours.

Antares rocket launches cargo run to International Space Station

November 17, 2018 Stephen Clark

A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo carrier climbed into orbit Saturday from Wallops Island, Virginia, in pursuit of the International Space Station with more than 7,200 pounds of research hardware and provisions, the second supply ship launch to the space station in less than 24 hours.

Station astronauts begin unpacking refurbished SpaceX cargo craft

December 18, 2017 Stephen Clark

A SpaceX-owned supply ship arrived at the International Space Station on Sunday with 2.4 tons of cargo, including space debris and solar energy monitors mounted in the Dragon spacecraft’s external payload bay and more than 3,400 pounds of gear inside its reused pressurized module.