Bird combats growth challenges; Spaceflight contracts Relativity; SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket
Relativity Links With Spaceflight for Launch
Autonomous rocket developer Relativity Space Inc. announced May 6 it signed a launch services agreement with Seattle-based Spaceflight Industries Inc. to deliver satellites to low earth orbit on Inglewood-based Relativity’s entirely 3D-printed rocket, the Terran 1. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. This is Relativity’s fourth contract this year, the Business Journal reports.
SpaceX Launches Falcon 9, NASA Considers More
Hawthorne-based SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station May 5, roughly a day after NASA originally said the launch was postponed due to electrical issues. The launch went as planned, and NASA said during a news conference it plans to use the Falcon 9 booster for a third time. ArsTecnica reports NASA doesn’t typically re-use rocket boosters, and that a third reuse is the first NASA has commissioned.
A new report from the LA Times describes how Santa Monica-based e-scooter operator Bird Rides Inc. is coping with its sudden growth. As of this month, Bird operates roughly 5,500 scooters in LA, compared to 7,000 in January. The Times attributes this to the fleet “wearing out,” as Bird determines how to best regulate its fleet and prevent its valuable scooters from being lost or vandalized. A new scooter, the “Bird Zero,” will release soon and reportedly be more durable.
Tech reporter Samson Amore can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 556-8335. Follow him on Twitter @samsonamore.