World's first 3D-printed rocket launches but fails to reach orbit in key test flight

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News

March 22, 2023, 11:51 PM EDT / Updated March 23, 2023, 12:04 AM EDT

The world’s first 3D-printed rocket made it off the launch pad Wednesday night but failed to reach orbit in a key test flight by a California-based aerospace startup. Relativity Space’s Terran 1 booster lifted off at 11:25 p.m. ET from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Several minutes into flight, however, mission controllers reported that the rocket experienced an anomaly with its upper stage that prevented it from successfully reaching orbit. The upper stage is designed to ignite separate engines midflight to boost it into space. The Terran 1 rocket was not carrying any cargo or satellites on its inaugural flight. Instead, the test mission, nicknamed “Good Luck, Have Fun,” was designed to allow engineers to study how the booster performs at the launch pad and throughout its journey into space.

“No one’s ever attempted to launch a 3D-printed rocket into orbit, and while we didn’t make it all the way today, we gathered enough data to show that flying 3D-printed rockets is possible,” Arwa Tizani Kelly, a test and launch technical program manager for Relativity Space, said during live commentary of the event. Few other details about the anomaly were provided. Company officials said engineering teams will analyze data from the flight in the coming days to determine what happened with the rocket.

Relativity officials have said 3D printing could make it cheaper to build rockets and manufacture space capsules and other components for missions to the moon and beyond. Rockets with 3D-printed parts have flown to space before, but Relativity’s booster is the first to be made almost entirely with 3D printing.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/worlds-first-3d-printed-rocket-launches-fails-reach-orbit-key-test-fli-rcna76244

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I was sortof following this a bit and saw a vid on how they were doing the large-scale 3D printing. Being able to generate the pieces and parts for the engines that able to withstand the temperature and pressure extremes (and swings) like a launch and eventual orbit, is fantastic.

The whole idea of large scale 3D printed fabrication techniques is a revolutionary shift in the evolutionary process of the human manufacturing timeline.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

1. What's the material?

The NBC report doesn't tell what it's made of. 3d printing is no longer limited to plastics.

That was a beautiful blue torch.

[Marcus IM]

2. There are laser sintered metal 3D printers used in all kinds of manufacturing. Heavy and light.

SLS - Selective Laser Sintering. From engine blocks (and now, rocket motors) to dental implants.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

8. Hmmph!

Gimme a bucket of 7018 rods and a buzz box and I'll show you some 3d "printing".

(Did John Henry say something like that about a steam engine? )

[BumRushDaShow]

4. They apparently have a proprietary mix

Their main website - https://www.relativityspace.com/

Their page mentioning the materials - https://www.relativityspace.com/stargate

PROPRIETARY
MATERIALS
Custom designed
for printing

High strength alloys specially designed for Stargate printers

Physical properties designed to meet mission-critical structural requirements

In-house material characterization lab for quickly iterating on new alloy development

Relativity developed multiple proprietary alloys custom designed for 3D printing to meet mission-critical performance

(might be use of carbon fiber in there somewhere)

[Hermit-The-Prog]

7. Thanks!

Don't think I need one of those around the house.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. They have "cheap" ones for home use

You can make your own 3D-printed gigantic coffee mug!

[Hermit-The-Prog]

14. But can it achieve orbit?

I came close to buying one, but have too many projects already.

[BumRushDaShow]

15. If you sneak it on the next orbital launch vehicle

or attach it to one of those sub-orbital balloons to get it partway there!

[Bayard]

3. Getting closer to Star Trek replicators

A good thing.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. I can see these ships eventually being constructed in space

in microgravity like Trek!

[OnlinePoker]

6. But piloted by the crew from Galaxy Quest

[BumRushDaShow]

9. ...

Or these guys -

[ripcord]

12. It wouldn't surprise me if they all carried a range of printers on them

If they keep a stock of bulk materials and they can fabricate spare parts in the middle of nowhere as needed.

[BumRushDaShow]

13. Exactly!

Storing the raw materials in a vacuum would provide less probability of introducing defects from contaminated base composites.

[ripcord]

11. I fly high power rockets as a hobby and make some parts on a 3d printer

Interior parts like mounts for altimeters and trackers can be easily made and really allows you to get exactly what you want.

[jmowreader]

16. I am extremely impressed

They went from sea level to main-engine cutoff flawlessly on their first attempt. It cannot be understated just how hard it is to do that - the history of rocketry is littered with rockets that got fifty feet off the ground and exploded. SpaceX’s development program involves blowing up the first three rockets, so it’s nice to see someone isn’t following in their footsteps.

And you simply must admit the enthusiasm of their launch director is fantastic.

I checked their website. This rocket is designed to be completely reusable - not just the first stage like Musk is doing. They run liquid oxygen and “liquid natural gas” so it appears from the flame coming out the back that they’re running an extremely rich fuel mixture, at least on this flight. Natural gas with sufficient oxygen burns bright blue. Robert Goddard also ran rich to keep his motor from melting; maybe this is the same thing?