Relativity Space Successfully Launches Terran-1 – Second Stage Fails

After enduring the standard challenges of upper level winds and wayward boats – three times in the past several weeks – Relativity Space finally launched Terran 1 at 11:25 pm EDT. After an apparently flawless launch and first stage performance, the second stage engine appeared to fire briefly – but then shut down. A flight anomaly was declared shortly thereafter.

This was a test vehicle without a payload – and its prime task was to gather data through the Max-Q (greatest launch loads) portion of the flight. In that regard they seem to have passed with flying colors.

Of course there was another test objective: to show the industry and a rocket that is mostly (85%) 3-D printed can launch things into space. Until the exact cause of the second stage anomaly is known it cannot be said with certainty that they achieved this objective.

But it would seem that most of the challenge of launching a rocket produced in this fashion was met.