Relativity Space, the world's emerging rocket manufacturer, has about 95% of its rocket components 3D printed. Compared with the more than 70,000 parts of traditional rockets, theirs has been optimized to more than 700 metal 3D printed parts.
Rocket manufacturer Relativity Space moved into its new headquarters in Long Beach, California this summer and is already manufacturing the parts needed for its first launch at the end of next year.
Relativity is currently making the first upgrade of the Terran 1 rocket. But unlike other rockets, Relativity uses multiple 3D printers to manufacture Terran 1. About 95% of the rocket`s design is 3D printed, which makes Relativity`s rockets more complex than traditional rockets. Manufacturing or modification is faster. In addition, Relativity said that using a simpler process such as 3D printing, raw materials can be turned into rockets on the launch pad within 60 days.
The 3D printed Relativity Space Aeon engine ignites Although Relativity has made progress in testing 3D printing technology, the 120,000 square foot headquarters will serve as the basis for manufacturing and launch operations. Relativity is now using a third-generation 3D printer, capable of manufacturing a single piece of metal up to 32 feet (nearly 10 meters).
Relativity recently hired its 200th employee and raised $140 million in 2019, giving it plenty of ammunition for expansion. Investors include Social Capital, Playground Global, Y Combinator, Bond Capital, Tribe Capital, Jared Leto and Mark Cuban.
Dunn is one of the new hires recently. After working at SpaceX for nearly 13 years, he was brought in about four months ago. After leaving Elon Musk's Rocket Company, he said that Relativity has exceeded his expectations.
"Our engineering office is only one door away from our engineering area, which is like two steps away. Therefore, you can go out to see the hardware directly from your computer and analysis tools, which means a super tight iterative upgrade cycle, which is very efficient. ."
Relativity retained and upgraded the first and second generation printers developed, and installed a robotic arm for the third generation printer in July. Relativity now has at least 7 sets 3D printers in total. CEO Tim Ellis told CNBC that more metal 3D printers will be built in the future.
Ellis said: "The new printers are already in use and are printing our first flying parts. Several printers are building the first rocket to orbit. We are building the first and second stages for the first flight. rocket."
Some investors in Relativity have already visited the new headquarters, Ellis added.
The third generation 3D printer
The only part of the Terran 1 rocket that does not use 3D printing is the electrical system, Ellis said: "Two barrels of raw materials come in, and the printer prints these materials into the rocket."
Terran 1 stands about 115 feet high on the launch pad, so Relativity is building the rocket in sections, and then using a special "horizontal splicing system" to splice the parts together. The system is essentially another robotic arm that will stitch the various parts together.
Dunn said: "The advantage of using the horizontal adapter is that it allows us to run more third-generation printers, which can shorten the total construction time of the aircraft. We can print one foot of metal on each printer every day, so when we When running together on the printer, we will be able to print a rocket in less than a month."
Ellis said: "Our customized aluminum alloys have been continuously improved and iterated. This is because we do not sell 3D printing systems, but use them ourselves to provide customers with rocket manufacturing services."
Intelligent control, real-time quality control and parts inspection, intelligent data-driven manufacturing, machine learning control algorithm, metal 3D printing with additive and subtractive integration, can realize complex geometric shapes
Relativity's full investment in 3D printing has aroused suspicion among other rocket manufacturers, who have used additive manufacturing at least to a limited extent. Ellis pointed out that data from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA showed that the aerospace industry "still uses our basic manufacturing tools 60 years ago in production and design development methods."
Ellis said: "Compared with other industries [such as automobile manufacturing], DARPA data shows that the aerospace industry is actually developing in the opposite direction. The time to design, develop, and iterate a new product is actually longer than 60 years ago. Be slow. History will be the best indicator, but I think others are wrong because they don`t have enough vision to think about the future."
Since co-founding Relativity five years ago, Ellis has been realizing his vision.
"The use of additive manufacturing for aerospace and rocket applications is absolutely possible and successful," Dunn said.
Relativity 3D printer makes rocket fuel tanks
Realtivity`s Terran 1 rocket has only 730 individual components, which is about 100 times less than the average rocket. The reduced complexity also brings the ability to make changes and upgrades quickly.
Ellis said: "Not only can we build a rocket within 60 days, we can also build a better version after 60 days. And for each version, we will optimize the quality to make it lighter, cheaper, and faster. Let us produce. This is a complete rewrite of the value chain, and I think that’s why people tend to miss it-they see it as a manufacturing technology. But it is a completely new construction driven by software , Design and development of products."
Jefferies aerospace analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu emphasized that the Terran 1 rocket is very competitive at a price of US$12 million per launch.
The test is still going on, for the first launch next year
Relativity is also developing its own series of rocket engines, called Aeon 1. Ellis said: "Engine tests are now performed on multiple test stands almost every day."
"Our number of tests now far exceeds 400, and in a few days we have done six or seven tests," he added.
The Relativity test was ignited at NASA's Stanislas Space Center in Mississippi, which has long-term leased multiple test rooms. Ellis pointed out that the company recently hired a Stennis site director. Clay Walker, another former SpaceX engineer, led the testing of the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket.
The first missions will be launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Relativity has already broken ground at launch site 16. The company now has a set of "extremely sound test standards and clear test activities in front of us", moving in the direction of the first launch.
Like SpaceX, Relativity plans to use trucks to transport rockets across the country, from California to Stennis for testing, and then launch in Florida.