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Relativity Space to attempt first 3D-printed rocket launch
UPI ^
| MARCH 8, 2023 / 10:17 AM
| By Clyde Hughes
Posted on 03/08/2023 7:57:06 AM PST by Red Badger
Relativity Space will launch its first 3D printer-made rocket from the space station on Wednesday. Photo courtesy Relativity Space March 8 (UPI) -- The Relativity Space launcher Terran 1 will try to become the first 3D-printed rocket to reach space when it blasts off Wednesday from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The test flight mission dubbed "Good Luck Have Fun" is scheduled to take off at about 1 p.m., EST.
Some 85% of the mass of the 110-foot tall, two-stage rocket was made by a 3D printer and could play a key role in driving down the cost of space travel in the future. Relativity said if the test flight, which will not have a payload on board, goes as planned, up to 95% of future rockets could be made with a 3D printer.
"As for flight success, safely clearing the pad, getting out over the ocean and passing Max-Q would be a big inflection point for today's launch," Relativity Space told Space.com.
"Max-Q is the point where the structural loads on the vehicle are the highest, making it one of the most challenging phases of flight, so passing this milestone would effectively demonstrate that 3D-printed rockets are structurally viable, in addition to already successfully completing acceptance testing on the ground at our factory at these max stresses."
Relativity's owners said they want to eventually compete head-to-head with private space travel leaders SpaceX and United Launch Alliance by building a larger version of Terran 1.
SpaceX's launcher workhorse, the reusable Falcon 9 rocket, is scheduled to take off from Cape Canaveral Complex 40 on Thursday.
TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Astronomy; Computers/Internet; History
KEYWORDS: elonmusk; falcon9; maxq; musk; relativityspace; spaceexploration; spacex; starlink; terran1
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To: MtnClimber; SunkenCiv; SuperLuminal
Ping!.......................
2
posted on
03/08/2023 7:57:31 AM PST
by
Red Badger
(Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
To: MtnClimber; SunkenCiv; SuperLuminal
3
posted on
03/08/2023 7:59:07 AM PST
by
Red Badger
(Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
To: Red Badger
Lets hope it doesn’t get 3D printed all over the place
To: Red Badger
So, it is an over-sized Estes rocket???
5
posted on
03/08/2023 8:07:08 AM PST
by
jettester
(I got paid to break 'em - not fly 'em)
To: butlerweave
The term you’re looking for is RUD (Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly). Cheers!
To: Red Badger
Relativity Space will launch its first 3D printer-made rocket from the space station on Wednesday.
The Relativity Space launcher Terran 1 will try to become the first 3D-printed rocket to reach space when it blasts off Wednesday from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. So, which is it? Or did the author mean to say 'Space Force Station' in the first sentence? It seems to indicate the ISS.
7
posted on
03/08/2023 8:08:58 AM PST
by
Bloody Sam Roberts
(You can never have enough clamps. Thanks Ben.)
To: Red Badger
How dooya 3-d print a launch?
/rimshot
8
posted on
03/08/2023 8:09:52 AM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
9
posted on
03/08/2023 8:12:33 AM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
To: jettester
BIG BIG BIG BIG BERTHA!.....................
10
posted on
03/08/2023 8:12:33 AM PST
by
Red Badger
(Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
To: Red Badger
I didn’t realize we could 3-D print metal.
11
posted on
03/08/2023 8:20:49 AM PST
by
Yulee
To: Yulee
Yes, we’ve been doing it for several years.
We can also 3D Print ‘meat’........................
12
posted on
03/08/2023 8:25:54 AM PST
by
Red Badger
(Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
To: Yulee
13
posted on
03/08/2023 8:26:32 AM PST
by
Red Badger
(Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
To: Yulee
You should check out their site, Relativityspace.com. They show the 3D printing and more.
14
posted on
03/08/2023 8:36:00 AM PST
by
broken_clock
(Go Trump! Still praying.)
To: Red Badger
They have 2 women with tons of hair doing all the talking ,LOL
To: Red Badger
Looks too windy at this time.
16
posted on
03/08/2023 11:10:00 AM PST
by
TangoLimaSierra
(⭐⭐To the Left, The Truth is Right Wing Violence⭐⭐)
To: TangoLimaSierra
Clock is started again.................
17
posted on
03/08/2023 11:18:01 AM PST
by
Red Badger
(Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
To: TangoLimaSierra
Less than 10 minutes................
18
posted on
03/08/2023 11:30:57 AM PST
by
Red Badger
(Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
To: jettester
I built the Big Bertha as a teenager.
Launched it once.
Disappeared..........................
19
posted on
03/08/2023 11:32:25 AM PST
by
Red Badger
(Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
To: Red Badger
20
posted on
03/08/2023 11:38:50 AM PST
by
pnz1
("These people have gone stone-cold crazy")
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