Hyperdrive
3D-Printed Rocket Startup Relativity Pivots Weeks After First Flight Test
- Relativity halts tests of Terran 1 to focus on larger Terran R
- Company’s first flight in March took it to space but not orbit
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Relativity Space Inc. plans to abandon future flights of its Terran 1 rocket less than a month after it first tested the 3D-printed vehicle. The company will instead shift operations toward a previously planned larger rocket in hopes of filling a growing market need and better competing with industry leader SpaceX.
This announcement Wednesday is a shakeup for the mostly unflown space startup, which conducted its sole flight on March 22 that reached space but failed to reach orbit. The pivot to this larger rocket, the Terran R, will likely mean Relativity won’t conduct additional launches until 2026, when it expects the vehicle to be ready for flight.