Relativity Space has completed the world’s first ever entirely 3D-printed rocket using the world’s largest metal 3D printer.
What is it?
Relativity goal is to build humanity’s multiplanetary future with its wholly 3D-printed rockets, Terran 1, and Terran R, (the latter is a larger and will be a fully reusable launch vehicle, the company says).
The long-term goal is to improve and increase humanity’s base on Mars and Earth.
The California headquartered firm invented a new approach to design, print, and fly the Terran rockets.
The rockets themselves have 100 times fewer parts than rockets not made with 3D printers and can be made in under 60 days.
“As a vertically integrated technology platform, Relativity is at the forefront of an inevitable shift toward software-defined manufacturing.
“By fusing 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and autonomous robotics, we are pioneering the factory of the future,” the company said on its website.
In simple terms, Relativity has sought to dramatically simplify the supply chains and processes involved with sending rockets into space.
“The company’s proprietary 3D printing process is enabled by software and data-driven manufacturing, proprietary 3D printed materials, and unique design geometries that are not possible with traditional manufacturing,” it added.
When will these rockets be launched?
Terran 1, which is now completed, is scheduled to launch its test flight on 31 March 2022, according to the RocketLaunchSchedule website.
The code name for the demonstration flight launch is displayed as ‘Good Luck, Have Fun.’
Terran R, meanwhile, is the larger entirely-3D-printed rocket that aims to be reusable. It is still in the production stages, but Relativity has vowed to ramp up the production process.
How to invest in the space industry?
Relativity Space last year raised US$650mln in a venture capital funding round which valued the business at US$4.2bn. New investors included BlackRock, a number of hedge funds and even ‘Thirty Seconds to Mars’ star Jared Leto.
The June 2020 raise made Relativity Space the world’s second largest privately-held space firm at the time, behind Elon Musk's SpaceX.
So, how can the average investor, who isn’t a multi-millionaire or even billionaire invest in this rapidly growing sector?
SpaceX and Relativity Space are not publicly listed, there are other space plays available for investors
Examples include space tourism play Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc (NYSE:SPCE); Seraphim Space Investment Trust PLC (LSE:SSIT), the only open-ended fund backing space tech companies; Astra Space Inc, a launch specialist; and Spire Global Inc (NYSE:SPIR) an innovative satellite-based analytics company.
Alternatively, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) may be an option for investors who would rather diversify their investments into a basket of companies operating across the space sector, rather than specifically choosing one company to back.
For example, Procure Space UCITS ETF (LSE:YODA) and its older sister Procure Space ETF (NASDAQ:UFO), as well as ARK Space Exploration Innovation ETF are three that specifically home in on the space industry.
The industry could be worth over US$1tn in annual revenue by 2040, up from US$350bn in 2020, according to Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) estimates from last year.