Relativity retires Terran 1 to focus on Terran R
Posted: Sat, Apr 15, 2023, 10:45 PM ET (0245 GMT)
Relativity Space said Wednesday it is retiring its Terran 1 rocket after a single launch to focus on its larger Terran R. Terran 1 launched last month but failed to reach orbit when its upper-stage engine failed to ignite, a problem the company said appears linked to valves that opened slower than expected. Relativity has revised the design of the Terran R, which the company announced in 2021 as a fully reusable rocket. The updated design will reuse only the first stage, but with an increased payload performance of 23,500 kilograms to LEO and 5,500 kilograms to geostationary transfer orbits. Terran R is now scheduled to begin launches as soon as 2026, two years later than previously announced.
Relativity Space said Wednesday it is retiring its Terran 1 rocket after a single launch to focus on its larger Terran R. Terran 1 launched last month but failed to reach orbit when its upper-stage engine failed to ignite, a problem the company said appears linked to valves that opened slower than expected. Relativity has revised the design of the Terran R, which the company announced in 2021 as a fully reusable rocket. The updated design will reuse only the first stage, but with an increased payload performance of 23,500 kilograms to LEO and 5,500 kilograms to geostationary transfer orbits. Terran R is now scheduled to begin launches as soon as 2026, two years later than previously announced.
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