All you need to know about Relativity’s 3D Printed Rocket Launch!
Creating a tech startup isn’t easy, and taking your startup’s vision to the zenith of expectations, breaking all the related prejudices prevalent in society, is even more difficult.
Relativity Space, a 3D printing specialist, launched its first 3D-printed rocket,Terran 1, on 23rd March, 2023 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Well, what is so special about the rocket that everyone is hyped about it? Turns out it is 85% 3D printed and is the first U.S.-made launch vehicle of its size to use methane as a fuel. However, it failed to reach the orbit due to an anomaly that caused the engine to shut down shortly after the lower stage separated. You can watch the entire launch in their official video.
Since it utilizes the advantages of additive manufacturing, the venture aims to print rockets from raw materials in less than 60 days- which is really impressive, considering the fact that it takes 12–18 months to build a simple rocket like Falcon9!!
What is so special about crossing the Max-Q point?
One of its main objectives with the test flight was to demonstrate that a 3D-printed rocket could withstand the extreme vibrations and forces of a launch, particularly in a phase of the flight known as Max-Q, or maximum aerodynamic pressure.
Max-Q is a point of maximum aerodynamic pressure where the rocket experiences maximum mechanical stress. As the altitude increases, the density of the air decreases and the velocity of the rocket increases. The aerodynamic pressure is given by the formula:
where q is the dynamic pressure, rho is the air density, and v is the rocket's velocity. As shown in the figure, at some point it reaches a maximum value known as the Max-Q point. The stress on the rocket decreases after crossing this point.
Crossing this point is in itself an achievement. The data gathered on the Terran 1 test flight will aid in developing Relativity’s future rocket, a fully reusable launcher named Terran R.
How much of it is actually 3D printed?
About 85% of the 20,458-pound (9,280-kilogram) structural mass of the Terran 1 rocket was manufactured with 3D printing technology, including its Aeon engines. The rocket’s primary structure and propellant tanks were 3D printed using a proprietary aluminium alloy. The engine thrust chambers, injectors, turbopumps, reaction control thrusters, and pressurization systems also rely on 3D printing tech. Other parts, such as avionics and flight computers, were manufactured using conventional methods.
Inside the Relativity Space Factory
As a 93-acre former Boeing C-17 manufacturing plant in Long Beach, the Relativity headquarters, designed in collaboration with Gensler, is one of the largest headquarters in the private space industry. Relativity Headquarters has the capacity for 4,000+ employees, a metallurgical laboratory, DMLS printers, a mission control centre, and dozens of the company’s proprietary Stargate 3D printers, the largest metal 3D printers in the world. This video by Veritaserum is an informative tour into the ‘wormhole’ of the innovation hub.
3D printing/ Additive manufacturing is the next revolution, a technology that will change the complete manufacturing landscape in the near future. This rocket launch is just a boost to thousands of fledgling tech enthusiasts like us who are pondering to work in the manufacturing space.
