The first 3D printed rocket will try to take off again
California-based Relativity Space’s Terran 1 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, overnight Thursday into Friday.
Terran 1 is 33.5 meters high and over 2 meters in diameter.
AFP
Will the third attempt be perfect? The first 3D-printed rocket is set to attempt its maiden flight again on Wednesday after two previous tests were canceled at the last minute due to technical problems.
The mission, called “Good luck, have fun” (French for “good luck, have fun”), is being closely scrutinized because 3D printed rockets could represent a mini-revolution in the launch industry.
California-based Relativity Space’s Terran 1 rocket is set to lift off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The window of opportunity opens at 10pm local time (3am Thursday in Switzerland), and closes three hours later. 85% of the rocket’s total weight is 3D printed, and the company aims for 95% in the future. The main advantage of the technique: greatly simplifying the production process and thereby reducing costs.
Nine machines
With its large 3D printing robots, the company says it can 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 high and over 2 meters in diameter. Its first phase has nine motors and is 3D printed.
1250 kg can be placed in low Earth orbit (for example, small satellites), making it a light launch pad. But this first flight had no payload. 80 seconds after the rocket takes off, the aerodynamic force exerted on the engine must reach its maximum point (maximum Q, in jargon). According to the young boss of Relativity Space, this is a critical phase of flight.
“We’ve already proven on the ground what we wanted to prove in flight — when the vehicle’s dynamic stress and strain are at their maximum, 3D printed structures can withstand those forces,” Tim Ellis tweeted in early March.
“unprecedented”
After the rocket’s first stage separates, the second must continue its journey until it reaches Earth’s orbit – 8 minutes after liftoff. According to Tim Ellis, achieving this milestone on the first flight was “unprecedented”.
In fact, the rocket uses metalax as fuel, which is a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas (basically methane). If it reaches orbit, it will be the first rocket to use this fuel.
Relativity Space promotes a long-term vision of humanity living on multiple planets, arguing that the fuel of the “future” is easy to produce on Mars. Vulcan rockets under development by United Launch Alliance (ULA), and SpaceX’s Starship, will also use this fuel.
The first attempt to launch Terran 1 was aborted on March 8 due to fuel temperature problems. Then, on March 11, takeoff was canceled twice in the final seconds of the countdown, first due to an automation problem and then due to a fuel pressure problem.
Growing demand
Whatever the degree of success of Terran 1’s first flight, the data gathered will also be used to develop its big sister: the Terran R. This massive rocket, developed by Relativity Space, should be capable of carrying 20′ 000 kg. Around the circular path. According to Tim Ellis, the company has already signed $1.65 billion in contracts.
One of them was sent with OneWeb, whose satellites are supposed to provide Internet from space. Tim Ellis tweeted that this type of rocket “is medium-heavy and has a very significant market opportunity for the rest of the decade, and there is currently a huge shortage of this type of payload.”
A satellite operator can wait years to get a spot on Arianespace or SpaceX’s big rockets. Hence, dozens of start-ups have been launched in recent years to meet the growing demand. The number of satellites launched in 2012 has increased to more than 2,700 by 2022, according to Euroconsult, a specialist firm.
AFP
Did you find an error?Please let us know.
“Avid gamer. Social media geek. Proud troublemaker. Thinker. Travel fan. Problem solver.”