Relativity Space Launches World's First 3D-Printed Rocket On Historic Test Flight (space.com) 13
Longtime Slashdot reader destinyland shares a report from Space.com: The Relativity Space rocket, called Terran 1, lifted off from Launch Complex 16 at Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 8:25 p.m. EST (0025 GMT on March 23), kicking off a test flight called "Good Luck, Have Fun" (GLHF). Terran 1 performed well initially. For example, it survived Max-Q -- the part of flight during which the structural loads are highest on a rocket -- and its first and second stages separated successfully. But something went wrong shortly thereafter, at around three minutes into the flight, when the rocket failed to reach orbit.
"No one's ever attempted to launch a 3D-printed rocket into orbit, and, while we didn't make it all the way today, we gathered enough data to show that flying 3D-printed rockets is viable," Relativity Space's Arwa Tizani Kelly said during the company's launch webcast on Wednesday night. "We just completed a major step in proving to the world that 3D-printed rockets are structurally viable," she added.
"No one's ever attempted to launch a 3D-printed rocket into orbit, and, while we didn't make it all the way today, we gathered enough data to show that flying 3D-printed rockets is viable," Relativity Space's Arwa Tizani Kelly said during the company's launch webcast on Wednesday night. "We just completed a major step in proving to the world that 3D-printed rockets are structurally viable," she added.
off to a good start (Score:5, Interesting)
The main goal of this launch was to test how the vehicle's 3D-printed structure handled max-q, which it looked like it passed without problems. Unfortunately, the 2nd stage vacuum engine failed to ignite. (it looks like it tried several times though, sputtering repeatedly before giving up)
These smaller outfits often use someone else's engines - does anyone know who makes the stage 2 vacuum engine? (or is it designed/manufactured in-house?)
Re: (Score:3)
Yep, this is what Rocket Science is, from the first Chinese ones a couple thousand years ago to Goddard and von Braun and Oberth to Space-X to Blue Origin, and down to the hobbyists.
Those who don't like to see their creations blow up repeatedly and still come back and try again shouldn't be in the hobby / business.
There's more than just a bit of Wile E. Coyote in rocketry.
Re:off to a good start (Score:4)
It is an in-house design, called the Aeon: wikipedia [wikipedia.org], stage 2 full test at Stennis [youtube.com].
The first stage uses 9 of these engines; the 2nd stage uses a vacuum-optimized copy of the same.
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It's an in-house engine, same one as the first stage. It apparently has an interesting passive ignition system though, which maybe wasn't tested thoroughly in a vacuum.
Slashdot, I'm disappointed at you (Score:3)
Re: (Score:1)
Everybody already knew it. The "3D-printed" hook is meaningless -- just an industrial process. So, in this case it is "yesterday's stale news for nerds."
Re:Slashdot, I'm disappointed at you (Score:4)
Actually, isn't the 3D printed aspect *the entire point of the rocket*? Compared with all current and past rocket fabrication technology, this one is different?
I'd say that's substantial news, not a reductionist headline hook.
Re: (Score:2)
Yes. This is Slashdot in the 2020s. If you can't come up with a Biden/Trump joke then you have to make a blasé comment along the lines of how it's not really new, "wake me when I can buy it at Wal-mart," etc.
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Agreed. Once you get a design working with additive manufacturing, you can order cheaper mass-produced versions of parts you want lots of while you iterate on the parts you want to change. The exciting part of this is that they passed Max-Q with a fully printed rocket. It didn't shake to pieces, so now they can tweak bits as needed, knowing that the whole chassis can be made in-house.
But you know how it is. Everyone on Slashdot is simultaneously smarter and more cynical than the people sending cans of air t
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100% 3D printed? (Score:2)
Other than liquids ie fuel, lubricants, etc
Wrong time (Score:2)