Terran 1
The Terran 1 is a two-stage launch vehicle under development by the US manufacturer Relativity Space . At a cost of US $ 10 million per flight, it should be able to carry payloads up to a mass of around 1.2 tons into low earth orbit . A first test flight was initially planned for the beginning of 2021, then for autumn 2021. The Cape Canaveral AFS Launch Complex 16 and a location on the US west coast are planned as launch sites .
The missile is particularly aimed at the satellite constellation and military applications market. According to media reports, letters of intent for orders from commercial and government customers worth a billion US dollars are already in place.
Manufacturing process
In contrast to all previously used launch vehicles, the Terran 1 - including its motors - is manufactured using a selective laser melting process (metal " 3D printing "). Around 95% of the components should be "printed". In addition, a high degree of automation is aimed for during assembly. In this way, particularly fast and inexpensive production and short development cycles are to be achieved. Thanks to 3D printing, 100 times fewer individual parts are required, which enables production exclusively in Germany and makes the Terran-1 particularly attractive for the US military.
Relativity Space operates a self-constructed metal 3D printer called Stargate, which it claims to be the world's largest, as well as several other large-scale 3D printers. The alloy used should also be developed in-house and be particularly stable.
history
The development of the rocket began with the founding of Relativity Space in 2015. The company first went public in 2017. In March 2018, it announced a lucrative contract with NASA that would allow the cost-effective use of an engine test facility at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi for at least 20 years . By this point in time, 85 test runs of prototypes of the 3D-printed rocket motor should have taken place. The rocket production facility will also be located at the Stennis Space Center.
At the beginning of 2019, Relativity Space announced that a launch facility was to be built for Terran 1 at Cape Canaveral AFS Launch Complex 16 . In April 2019, the company announced its first customers: Several launches had been reserved for a satellite constellation planned by Telesat ; In addition, a Thai start-up company commissioned a start in 2022.
Structure and technical data
The Terran 1 is designed as a two-stage rocket. Their engine configuration corresponds to that of a SpaceX Falcon 9 and a RocketLab Electron : The first stage is powered by nine identical atmospheric engines called Aeon 1, each of which develops a maximum thrust of around 85 kN . A 100 kN vacuum version of the Aeon 1 is used in the second stage . Methane is used as fuel and oxygen as an oxidizer .
The manufacturer specifies the planned transport capacity of 1250 kg in an orbit 185 kilometers high. With a 500 km high sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) up to 900 kg payload is aimed for, with a 1200 km SSO 700 kg.
Similar new developments
The US manufacturer Firefly Aerospace has been working on the Firefly Alpha since 2014 , which has a similar transport capacity with a LEO payload of up to 1000 kg. In May 2019, based on optimistic assumptions, Firefly promised a first start for the end of the year, but already anticipated a postponement to 2020.
Another US competitor is ABL Space Systems with the RS1 rocket . It should be able to transport 1200 kg and start for the first time in the third quarter of 2020.
Planned launches
As of March 3, 2020
The dates in brackets are out of date. After its publication, the planned first flight of the rocket was postponed for nine months.
| Date ( UTC ) | Launch site | Customer / payload | Type of payload | Orbit 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn 2021 | CCAFS LC-16 | (First flight / test flight) | LEO | |
| (3rd quarter 2021) | ? |
 Spaceflight Industries
|
Multiple satellites | LEO |
| (2021) | ? |
Momentus
|
Space tugs and satellites | |
| (2022 ) | ? |
 mu space
|
? | LEO |
| ? | ? |
 Telesat
|
Communication satellites (multiple launches) |
LEO |
Spaceflight Industries and Momentus have options for additional Terran-1 launches.
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Web links
- Terran 1 on the Relativity Space website
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Eric Berger: Relativity Space reveals its ambitions with a big NASA deal. In: Ars Technica. March 21, 2018, accessed December 8, 2018 .
- ↑ a b Alan Boyle: Relativity joins Blue Origin to provide launches for Telesat's broadband satellites. In: Geekwire. April 5, 2019, accessed April 6, 2019 .
- ↑ a b c Terran 1. Relativity Space, accessed March 3, 2020 .
- ↑ a b c Sandra Erwin: Rocket startup sees big future in military launch. In: Spacenews. July 1, 2018, accessed December 8, 2018 .
- ↑ a b Michael Sheetz: A start-up that manufactures rockets with giant 3-D printers just scored $ 35 million in funding. CNBC, March 27, 2018, accessed December 8, 2018 .
- ↑ Michael Sheetz: Rocket start-up Relativity quadruples resources in a year, adds former SpaceX leaders. In: CNBC. February 17, 2019, accessed April 6, 2019 .
- ↑ Stargate. In: relativityspace.com. Retrieved December 8, 2018 .
- ^ Jeff Foust: Relativity to build rocket factory at Stennis. In: Spacenews. June 11, 2019, accessed June 12, 2019 .
- ^ Jeff Foust: Relativity to build launch site at Cape Canaveral. In: Spacenews. January 17, 2019, accessed January 17, 2019 .
- ^ A b Rocket Startup Relativity Space Announces First Major Launch Client. In: Fortune . April 5, 2019, accessed April 5, 2019 .
- ↑ a b Doug Messier: Relativity's 3D Printed Terran 1 Rocket to Launch mu Space's Low Earth Orbit Satellite. In: Parabolic Arc. April 23, 2019, accessed April 23, 2019 .
- ^ Jeff Foust: Commercial, not government, demand will drive size of small launch vehicle market. In: Spacenews. May 8, 2019, accessed May 10, 2019 .
- ↑ ABL Space Systems increases performance and cuts price of its small launch vehicle. In: Spacenews. February 1, 2019, accessed July 23, 2019 .
- ↑ Eric Berger: Relativity Space has big dreams. Is the company for real? In: Ars Technica. March 3, 2020, accessed March 3, 2020 .
- ^ A b Jeff Foust: Spaceflight signs contract with Relativity for launches. In: Spacenews. June 5, 2019, accessed June 5, 2019 .
- ↑ a b Relativity Space Signs Launch Services Agreement for Multiple Launches with Momentus on Terran 1, World's First 3D Printed Rocket. In: businesswire.com. Momentus, September 11, 2019, accessed September 11, 2019 .