Relativity Space is retiring Terran 1 after just a single test flight to double-down on development of its next-generation Terran R rocket, which is now configured to be even larger than previously announced.<\/p>\n

The six-year-old company is making other significant changes to Terran R: The rocket will no longer be completely reusable, but fitted with an expendable second stage. In addition, its design will rely less on additive manufacturing, the technology that Relativity is best-known for advancing and that it has touted in each of its capital raises. These changes mean that the 270-foot tall Terran R will now have a payload capacity of 23.5 metric tons to low Earth orbit and 33.5 metric tons when launched as a fully expendable vehicle.<\/p>\n

The rocket will be propelled by 13 Aeon R engines on the first stage (instead of the originally planned seven) and a single Aeon Vac engine on the second stage. Both engines were designed in-house by Relativity. Notably, the company will now be manufacturing some parts of the vehicle, like the tank barrels, using aluminum alloy and traditional metal-bending techniques rather than via 3D printing.<\/p>\n