The maximum payload was expected to be 1,250 kg (2,760 lb) to 185 km (115 mi) low Earth orbit (LEO). Relativity's advertised launch price was $12 million USD per Terran 1 mission.
Terran 1's first flight is scheduled for 11 March, 2023 after a scrub on 8 March.
Design
Terran 1 consists of two stages. The first stage is powered by nine Aeon 1 engines burning methane and oxygen propellants in a gas-generator cycle, each producing 100 kN (23,000 lbf) of thrust. The second stage is powered by a single vacuum-optimized version of Aeon 1,[3] known as AeonVac, producing 126 kN (28,300 lbf) of thrust in vacuum.[4] Both stages will be autogenously pressurized.[5]
The payload fairing measures 6.8 m (22 ft) long and has a diameter of 3 m (9.8 ft). Terran 1 is capable of up to 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) to low Earth orbit.[6] However, Relativity commonly states a payload capacity of 1,250 kg (2,760 lb) to lower inclination low-Earth orbits and 900 kg (2,000 lb) to a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).[4][7]
The primary and secondary structures of Terran 1 are manufactured with Relativity's Stargate 3D printer out of a proprietary aluminum alloy.[6] 90% of Terran 1 by mass consists of printed components;[6] Relativity claims that they can reduce the part count in the vehicle by 100 times compared to traditionally-manufactured rockets and manufacture an entire flight article from raw materials in 60 days.[6][8] Relativity's in-development Terran R launch vehicle will utilize the same tooling used to manufacture Terran 1.[3][9]
Relativity advertised a price per launch for Terran 1 of US$10 million in 2019.[10] The advertised price per launch had been increased to $12 million USD in 2021.[3]
Planned upgrades
In February 2022, Relativity CEO Tim Ellis stated in an interview with Ars Technica that the current configuration of Terran 1, with nine Aeon 1 engines on the first stage, will be replaced after the third flight with a stage featuring a single Aeon R engine with substantially higher thrust. The Aeon R engine is planned to be used on Relativity's much larger Terran R rocket.[11]
Launches
Relativity received a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launch license to conduct the first launch of Terran 1, not-earlier-than (NET) 8 March 2023 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Launch Complex 16.[12] Originally, another static fire was planned with the full rocket stack before first launch. However, Relativity decided it performed enough tests and instead decided to go for a launch attempt.[5]
$3 million contract for unspecified payload(s) in NASA's Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS) 2 program.[13] The ELaNa 42 mission, consisting of three CubeSats, will launch on this flight.[14]
Third flight of Terran 1, as detailed by Tim Ellis in an interview, will carry a payload for an undisclosed customer.[11] Last flight of Terran 1 before planned block upgrade.
The 2019 contract with Momentus included a first flight originally scheduled for 2021, with option for five additional flights in the future. The five flights will include launch of a Momentus Vigoride Extended space tug.[16]
Launch site will either be Cape Canaveral or Vandenberg. TriSept stated that the launch will feature one large primary payload accompanied with several smaller payloads.[18]
This Template lists historical, current, and future space rockets that at least once attempted (but not necessarily succeeded in) an orbital launch or that are planned to attempt such a launch in the future
Symbol † indicates past or current rockets that attempted orbital launches but never succeeded (never did or has yet to perform a successful orbital launch)
