Terran R is a
heavy-lift two-stage
A multistage rocket or step rocket is a launch vehicle that uses two or more rocket ''stages'', each of which contains its own engines and propellant. A ''tandem'' or ''serial'' stage is mounted on top of another stage; a ''parallel'' stage is ...
, partially
reusable launch vehicle
A reusable launch vehicle has parts that can be recovered and reflown, while carrying payloads from the surface to outer space. Rocket stages are the most common launch vehicle parts aimed for reuse. Smaller parts such as fairings, booster ...
under development by
Relativity Space
Relativity Space Inc. is an American aerospace manufacturer, aerospace manufacturing company headquartered in Long Beach, California. Relativity Space is new product development, developing manufacturing technologies, launch vehicles, and rock ...
. The vehicle is partially constructed with
3D printing
3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is the construction of a three-dimensional object from a CAD model or a digital 3D model. It can be done in a variety of processes in which material is deposited, joined or solidified under computer ...
technologies, like its predecessor, the small-lift
Terran 1
Terran 1 was an expendable two-stage small-lift launch vehicle developed by Relativity Space. Development began in 2017 and the rocket was retired in 2023. Most structures and components of the vehicle are manufactured with 3D printing processes ...
.
The first flight is expected to be in 2026.
Versions
Original Proposed Version 2021
The Terran R was first publicly announced on 8 June 2021 after the company raised US$650 million in funding.
Terran R was an evolution of the
Terran 1
Terran 1 was an expendable two-stage small-lift launch vehicle developed by Relativity Space. Development began in 2017 and the rocket was retired in 2023. Most structures and components of the vehicle are manufactured with 3D printing processes ...
, and at the time, it was to be
3D printed
3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is the construction of a three-dimensional object from a CAD model or a digital 3D model. It can be done in a variety of processes in which material is deposited, joined or solidified under computer ...
, fully reusable, including second stage and fairings.
This planned version would be capable of putting into
low-Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit around Earth with a period of 128 minutes or less (making at least 11.25 orbits per day) and an eccentricity less than 0.25. Most of the artificial objects in outer space are in LEO, peaking in number at an ...
(LEO) in recoverable configuration.
2023 Version
On 12 April 2023, after the first flight of the Terran 1, Relativity Space CEO
Tim Ellis announced that the rocket was no longer going to be further developed and focus would move to Terran R.
The new version of the rocket will have a maximum payload capacity of to low earth orbit (LEO) with a fully reusable first stage, and to LEO if fully expended.
The first stage will use 13
Aeon R
Relativity Space Inc. is an American aerospace manufacturing company headquartered in Long Beach, California. Relativity Space is developing manufacturing technologies, launch vehicles, and rocket engines for commercial orbital launch service ...
engines, producing an estimated thrust of 14.9
MN (3,350,000 lbs) in total.
The second stage will use an upgraded Aeon R Vac engine and will be expended, along with the fairings.
Ellis has compared the design of Terran R to SpaceX's
Falcon 9
Falcon 9 is a Reusable launch system#Partial reusable launch systems, partially reusable, two-stage-to-orbit, medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured in the United States by SpaceX. The first Falcon 9 launch was on June 4, 2010, an ...
launch vehicle.
With this design, Relativity is aiming to significantly exceed the Falcon 9 payload to LEO.
In July 2022, Relativity announced a partnership with
Impulse Space
Impulse Space is a startup founded in 2021 developing in-space transportation technology and services for satellites that fly to Low Earth Orbit but then need to reach other orbits.
The company was founded by Tom Mueller, employee No.1 at SpaceX ...
to send a payload to Mars on the first Terran R flight, which is expected to occur in 2026.
In September 2024, Eric Berger reported the planned diameter of Terran R had changed from to , matching the diameter of the
Ariane 6
Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) and manufactured by a consortium of European companies, led by the prime contractor ArianeGroup. As part of the Ariane rocket family, it is operate ...
rocket.
See also
*
Comparison of orbital launch systems
This comparison of orbital launch systems lists the attributes of all current and future individual rocket configurations designed to reach orbit. A first list contains rockets that are operational or have attempted an orbital flight attempt as o ...
*
Comparison of orbital launchers families
This article compares different orbital launcher families (launchers which are significantly different from other members of the same 'family' have separate entries). The article is organized into two tables: the first contains a list of currentl ...
References
{{Reusable launch systems
Space launch vehicles of the United States