Will the third attempt be the right one?
The first 3D-printed rocket is due to attempt its maiden flight again on Wednesday, after two previous tests were canceled at the last minute due to technical issues.
This mission, called
“Good luck, have fun”
(
“Good luck, have fun
”, in French), is closely scrutinized because 3D printed rockets could represent a small revolution in the launch industry.
California-based Relativity Space's Terran 1 rocket is to take off from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The window of opportunity opens at 10 p.m. local time (0200 GMT Thursday), and closes three hours later.
A total of 85% of the rocket's mass was 3D printed, and the company is aiming for 95% in the future.
Main advantage of the technique: greatly simplifying the manufacturing process and thus reducing costs.
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With its large 3D printing robots, the company claims to divide the number of parts by 100 compared to a traditional rocket.
It also highlights the speed of the method: 60 days, from raw material to finished product.
Terran 1 is 33.5 meters tall and just over 2 meters in diameter.
Its first stage has nine motors, also 3D printed.
Place 1,250 kg in low Earth orbit
It will have to be able to place 1,250 kg in low Earth orbit (small satellites, for example), which makes it a light launcher.
But this first flight does not contain a payload.
The rocket must reach, 80 seconds after takeoff, the point where the aerodynamic force exerted on the machine is the highest (max Q, in the jargon).
This is the crucial stage of the flight, according to the young boss of Relativity Space.
"We have already proven on the ground what we hope to prove in flight - that when the dynamic pressure and strain on the vehicle is at its highest, 3D printed structures can withstand these forces," Tim Ellis tweeted in early March
.
After the separation of the first stage of the rocket, the second will have to continue its journey until it reaches Earth orbit - 8 minutes after takeoff.
Achieving this step on the first flight would be
"unprecedented"
, according to Tim Ellis.
Indeed, the rocket uses methalox as fuel, a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas (essentially methane).
If it succeeds in reaching orbit, it would be the first rocket using this fuel to do so.
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Relativity Space, which promotes the long-term vision of humanity living on multiple planets, argues that it is the fuel
"of the future"
, the easiest to produce on Mars.
The rockets in development Vulcan, from United Launch Alliance (ULA), and Starship, from SpaceX, must also use this fuel.
A first attempt to launch Terran 1 had been abandoned on March 8 due to a fuel temperature problem.
Then, on March 11, the takeoff was canceled twice in the last seconds of the countdown, first because of an automation problem, then because of a fuel pressure problem.
Whatever the degree of success of the maiden flight of Terran 1, the data collected will also be used to develop its big sister: Terran R. This larger rocket, also developed by Relativity Space, will have to be able to transport 20,000 kg to low orbit.
The company has already signed $1.65 billion in contracts, the majority for Terran R, according to Tim Ellis.
One of them was passed with the company OneWeb, whose constellation of satellites must provide internet from space.
This type of rocket
"medium-heavy is clearly where the most important market opportunity for the rest of the decade is, with a huge shortage currently in this class of payload"
, had tweeted Tim Ellis.
A satellite operator can wait years before obtaining a place in the big rockets of Arianespace or SpaceX.
Dozens of start-ups have therefore launched in recent years to meet booming demand.
The number of satellites launched has increased from around 120 in 2012 to more than 2,700 in 2022, according to specialist company Euroconsult.