Long Beach-based Relativity Space has created the latest iteration of its proprietary manufacturing platform, the Stargate 4th generation metal 3D printer.
The printers will be behind the development and rate production of Terran R, Relativity’s reusable, 3D-printed rocket, which is capable of launching 20,000 kilograms to low-Earth orbit, according to a release from the Long Beach-based company.
Stargate 4th generation printers will simplify manufacturing supply chains, as they are able to print a rocket with 100 times fewer parts in a matter of months, the Relativity release said.
Relativity is developing customized software for the printers that will use machine-learning techniques to allow them to print more complex and significantly larger metal products.
In addition, the release added, improved print speed and reliability were goals.
Tim Ellis, co-founder and chief executive of Relativity, said that large-scale spacecraft will inevitably be 3D printed.
The company sees 3D printing as an automation technology that has the power to change the pace of innovation in manufacturing, which is why it has invested in building its own proprietary tech stack from day one, Ellis said.
“Stargate printers are designed to unlock rapid iteration, which opens up opportunities for innovation in large-scale manufacturing products,” Ellis said in a statement.
He added that speed and efficiency were key to the technology.
“What would take traditional aerospace and space manufacturers years to develop and build, will be reduced down to months due to a highly adaptable, scalable, and automated process, made possible through software-driven manufacturing.”
Though Relativity has never launched a rocket, its customer waitlist is filled with big names in aerospace and telecommunications, including NASA, the Defense Department and Telesat.
A dedicated launch on a Relativity rocket will cost customers about $12 million each.
The company has brought in outside financing totaling about $1.35 billion. Its most recent financing was a $650 million series E funding round for the development of the Terran R in mid-June 2021.
The round was led by Boston-based investment manager Fidelity Management & Research Co. and attracted investment from celebrities including Mark Cuban and Jared Leto.
