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IPFS News Link • 3D Printing

Watch Relativity Space launch world's 1st 3D-printed rocket tonight (March 22)

• https://www.space.com, By Mike Wall

Relativity Space is ready to make another attempt at its debut liftoff.

The company plans to launch its Terran 1, the world's first 3D-printed rocket, on Wednesday (March 22) from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station during a three-hour window that opens at 10 p.m. EDT (0200 GMT on March 23).

You can watch the orbital test mission — called "Good Luck, Have Fun," or GLHF for short — here at Space.com, courtesy of Relativity Space, or directly via the company(opens in new tab)

Tonight's planned liftoff will be the third attempt to get GLHF off the ground. The first try, on March 8, was scrubbed due to fuel-temperature issues on the two-stage Terran 1's upper stage.

Relativity Space tried again on March 11 but was thwarted by weather and range safety delays, as well as two separate aborts

The 110-foot-tall (33 meters) Terran 1 is the world's first 3D-printed rocket. About 85% by mass of the GLHF vehicle is 3D-printed, and the company wants to boost that figure to 95% or so on future vehicles.

The expendable Terran 1 can haul up to 2,756 pounds (1,250 kilograms) to low Earth orbit (LEO), according to Relativity Space. The launcher uses liquid methane as a fuel and liquid oxygen as an oxidizer. If Terran 1 succeeds tonight, it will become the first such "methalox" rocket ever to reach Earth orbit.


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