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rocketsocks t1_j9m8tpm wrote

Reply to comment by Bewaretheicespiders in Relativity Space on Twitter: You’ve asked, “Wen Launch?” and to that, we say...👇 Catch us live at Launch Complex 16 in Cape Canaveral, FL on March 8, 2023 to watch the world’s first 3D printed rocket fly. 🚀 #GLHF by allforspace

I guess it's very fortunate we live in a time where small scale orbital rocketry can be taken for granted. It's still nice to see more players enter the field, especially with different approaches.

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Bewaretheicespiders t1_j9mcqes wrote

It is nice. I guess Im annoyed by their constant focus on it being 3D printed. It does not give the rocket more merit. So far *everyone* is losing money with small launchers, and I dont see how this one will be any different with its pricing. So Im treating it more as gaining experience for their medium rocket. I dont expect Terran 1 to live very long, or to have a significant impact.

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Makhnos_Tachanka t1_j9moxog wrote

I'm sure it'll have plenty of impact, just as falcon 1 did, as a technology demonstrator. Really, terran 1 is a demonstration of their ability to print the rocket, stick all the avionics together with their engines, and get to orbit. For them to have any chance of securing the funding for terran r, which actually does take advantage of the 3d printing process, they kinda have to start small. And ultimately, what they're really building here is the ability to build rockets on the moon and mars, which is a big deal in and of itself. Same goes for spinlaunch, for that matter. They're both building launch vehicles with technologies that don't make that much sense on earth, but do make a ton of sense once you get off it.

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Bewaretheicespiders t1_j9ncf1c wrote

I dont see the economics of building rockets on moon and mars until they have a complete industrial base and then, 3D printing is unlikely matter. In fact for a long time its likely there will be a surplus of rockets on Mars. Since (almost) everything will have to be imported, but little exported.

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