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Relativity Space is conducting its third Terran 1 launch, called "GLHF" (Good luck and have fun), from Launch Complex 16 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.The launch window will open on March 22, 2023 at 1125 Eastern Time.The Terran 1 launch will not include a customer payload.
At 110 feet tall and 7.5 feet wide, Terran 1 is the largest 3D-printed object ever attempted for orbital flight.As a two-stage disposable rocket, Terran 1 has nine 3D-printed Aeon engines on its first stage and an Aeon Vac engine on its second stage.
Just like its construction, all of Relativity's engines are fully 3D-printed, using liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid natural gas (LNG), which is not only the best option for rocket propulsion, but also reusable, and ultimately the easiest transition to methane.
The launch was a modest success, but an "anomaly" during the second-stage ignition failed to reach orbit. The exact cause has not been disclosed, nor has it been known where the rocket will fall.
△The moment a 3D printed rocket is fired and launched
Although the launch failed to reach its intended orbit, Bear said it was a success, at least in part, proving that 3-D printing technology can be used to make rocket parts on a large scale, and a historic breakthrough for mankind. "The main goal of the first flight is to obtain test data. The pre-set mission goal is to reach the MAX-Q stage (meaning the maximum air resistance of the rocket), and the 86s will reach MAX-Q after the successful first-stage ignition," said an expert. So, in a way, the launch was a success.
The launch process was divided into the following seven steps, and the fifth step was successfully carried out.
- +0s: LIFTOFF (Success)
- +12s: PITH DOWN RANGE(Success)
- +1m 20s: MAX-Q(Success)
- +2m 40s: MAIN ENGINE CUT-OFF(Success)
- +2m 45s: STAGE SEPARATION(Success)
- +2m 51s: SECOND ENGINE START (Failed)
- +7m 43s: SECOND ENGINE CUT-OFF (Failed)
△In the first stage, the speed of the rocket is more than 7,000 kilometers per hour
Terran 1-series rocket is an almost entirely through-3d printing technology-which means the entire fuselage and almost all parts of the engine are made of DED(through the internally developed Stargate WAAM system) or metal PBF (VELO3Dand other additive systems)print.
△The 33.5 meter high 3d printed rocket is said to be the world's largest 3d printed object to attempt an orbital flight. The engine of the rocket is also made of 3d printed technology.
The company said the mission was a test of its unique 3d printing technology. Using this technology, the company can build rockets from raw materials in 60 days, while 3d printing requires fewer parts. According to Relativity Space, the use of additive manufacturing technology to produce rockets in a highly automated factory means access to:
- Higher reliability: A 100 times reduction in the number of parts means fewer sub-components and therefore fewer possible breaking points;
- Higher production speed: 10 times faster production time;
- Greater flexibility: through no fixed tooling requirements and a simplified supply chain
- It is optimized by compound iteration quality and time improvement
It is reported that the rocket has a low-earth orbit carrying capacity of 1,250 kilograms, but the first launch did not carry any customer payload. Currently 85 percent of the rocket is 3d printed, the company said, and in the future they aim to increase that number to 95 percent. According to a 2020 release from Relativity Space, the rocket will cost $12 million per mission.
Source: 南極熊
