Relativity Space has won its first public government contract, and it is also signed with a major defense contractor. The launch startup’s 3D printed rocket is very suitable for a particularly complex mission that Lockheed is launching for the NASA Tipping Point project. It is understood that this mission involves testing a dozen different cryogenic fluid management systems, including liquid hydrogen, a very difficult substance to handle.
The test will be conducted on a single spacecraft in orbit, which means that its design and adaptation will be a particularly complex spacecraft.
The payload itself and its cryogenic system will be designed and built by Lockheed and their NASA partners. Of course, the company will need to work closely with launch suppliers during development, especially in the preparation phase for the actual launch.
Tim Ellis, founder and CEO of Relativity, pointed out that the company's method of 3D printing the entire rocket from top to bottom is particularly suitable for this work.
"We are building a custom load fairing with the specific load loading interface, custom accessories and adapters they need," he said.
Every fairing must be customized, but Relativity's fairing is even more so. The loading and testing of more than a dozen low-temperature operations before launch requires a large number of modifications, and in other days, these modifications will result in a substantial increase in manufacturing complexity.
In this regard, Ellis pointed out: “If you look at the manufacturing tools used today, they are not much different from the past 60 years. They are also fixed tools, huge machines, which look impressive, but they can only be manufactured. A shape or a hand-designed item. And it will take 12-24 months."
But Relativity is not like that.
Ellis said: "Through our 3D printing method, we can print out the entire fairing within 30 days. Since it is defined by software, we can change the size and shape by changing the file. For this particular object, we have We can do some customized functions faster and adapt. Although this mission has been underway for three years, there will always be some changes in the last moments before launch, and we can adapt. Otherwise you will have to lock in the design now."
Ellis is excited about the opportunity to openly accept the task of such a large contractor. These big companies have received billions of dollars in government funding and participated in the launch of many projects, so it is very important that companies like Relativity appear on the list. And tasks like this, which are complex but relatively low-risk, are great opportunities for companies like Relativity to demonstrate their capabilities.