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.^[2] Most structures and components of the vehicle are manufactured with 3D printing processes.^[3]

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Terran 1

Manufacturer	Relativity Space
Country of origin	United States
Cost per launch	US$12 million[1]
Size
Height	35.2 m (115 ft)
Diameter	2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)
Stages	2
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Altitude	300 km (190 mi)
Orbital inclination	28.5°
Mass	1,479 kg (3,261 lb)
Payload to SSO
Altitude	500 km (310 mi)
Mass	898 kg (1,980 lb)
Launch history
Status	Retired
Launch sites	CCSFS LC-16 VSFB Building 330
Total launches	1
Failure(s)	1
First flight	23 March 2023
First stage
Height	24.3 m (80 ft)
Diameter	2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)
Powered by	9× Aeon 1
Maximum thrust	920 kN (207,000 lbf)
Propellant	LCH4 / LOX
Second stage
Height	8.1 m (27 ft)
Diameter	2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)
Powered by	1× AeonVac
Maximum thrust	126 kN (28,300 lbf)
Propellant	LCH4 / LOX
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Terran 1's first and only launch took place March 23, 2023 from Cape Canaveral, but did not achieve orbit due to a failure of the second stage.^[3] Following the failed launch, Relativity retired the rocket in favor of developing the much larger, reusable Terran R vehicle.^[4]

Terran 1 consisted of two stages. The first stage is powered by nine Aeon 1 engines burning methane and oxygen propellants (methalox) in a gas-generator cycle, each producing 100 kN (23,000 lbf) of thrust. The second stage is powered by a single vacuum-optimized version of Aeon 1,^[5] known as AeonVac, producing 126 kN (28,300 lbf) of thrust in vacuum.^[6] Both stages are autogenously pressurized.^[7]

The vehicle's (notional) payload fairing measures 6.8 m (22 ft) long and 3 m (9.8 ft) in diameter. Payload capacity was specified to be 1,250 kg (2,760 lb) to lower inclination low-Earth orbits and 900 kg (2,000 lb) to a Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).^[8][6][9] In any case, the vehicle never carried payloads, its sole launch featured an inert nosecone in place of a functional clamshell fairing.

The primary and secondary structures of Terran 1 were manufactured with Relativity's Stargate 3D printer, which welded structures together from aluminum alloy.^[8] 90% of Terran 1 by mass consisted of printed components;^[8] Relativity claimed that they could reduce the part count in the vehicle by 100 times compared to traditionally-manufactured rockets and manufacture an entire flight article from raw materials in 60 days.^[8][10] Relativity's in-development Terran R launch vehicle will utilize the same tooling used to manufacture Terran 1.^[5][11]

Relativity advertised a price per launch for Terran 1 of US$10 million in 2019.^[12] The advertised price per launch had been increased to $12 million USD in 2021.^[5]

Relativity received a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launch license to conduct the first launch of Terran 1, not-earlier-than (NET) 8 March 2023 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Launch Complex 16.^[14] Originally, another static fire was planned with the full rocket stack before first launch. Relativity believed it performed enough tests and instead attempted a launch.^[7] Terran 1's initial flight scheduled for 8 March 2023 was scrubbed due to "exceeding launch commit criteria limits for propellant thermal conditions on stage two". A second launch attempt on 11 March was also scrubbed. Set for 18:00 UTC (14:00 EDT), high upper level winds prevented liftoff for over an hour. A second attempt at 19:35 UTC (15:35 EDT) was cancelled at T-70 seconds from a boat in the launch safety range. A third attempt at 19:42 UTC (15:42 EDT) was cancelled half a second before liftoff. The engines briefly lit up before shutting down from a "launch commit criteria violation". A final attempt occurred at 21:00 UTC (17:00 EDT). An issue with the automatic stage separation promptly closed the launch window.^[15]

Another launch window for Terran 1's initial flight opened on March 23. After holding twice from a boat in the launch safety range, and high upper-level winds, the rocket lifted off at 03:25 UTC (23:25 EDT). Following a nominal liftoff and powered flight of the first stage, the second stage failed to ignite, leading to the loss of the mission. Preliminary investigations blamed the failure on a slower-than-expected valve opening as well as vapor ingestion into the liquid oxygen turbopump causing reduced performance.^[16] Although the launch did not orbit, Relativity acknowledged the successful performance of the vehicle's 3D printed structures under flight loads.^[17]

Following the loss of the first mission, the company abandoned further plans for Terran 1, instead choosing to focus efforts on developing the much larger reusable Terran R vehicle. Existing payloads on Terran 1 will likely have to be remanifested to Terran R or other flights.^[4]