Relativity Space has updated the status of work on the development of the Terran R launch vehicle
By ForGeeks
US-based Relativity Space has adjusted its development plan for the Terran R launch vehicle, aiming for a debut launch in late 2026. A key milestone was the successful comprehensive tests of the propulsion section, which is the base and attachment point for the first stage engines. This section has undergone static tests with loads up to 1,665 tons, as well as dynamic checks simulating peak loads in flight.
The kit includes eight cylindrical first stage sections and the first pair of Aeon R engines, which have also successfully completed the required firing tests of up to 475 seconds, confirming compliance with flight requirements. In parallel, the second stage is being assembled and equipment is being installed at the Cape Canaveral launch pad. A significant step was the assembly and painting of aluminum alloy components of the rocket body, as well as the creation of titanium rudder arrays.
Relativity Space is still betting on partial reusability of the rocket, envisioning reusability of the first stage, including landing on a platform similar to that used by Falcon 9. The first launch is planned from pad LC-16 at the U.S. Air Force Base in Florida, where infrastructure, including a horizontal assembly facility and lightning protection system, is being built.
The goal of the Terran R — is to fill a niche in the medium- to heavy-lift class of rockets with payloads of up to 23.5 tons to low-Earth orbit and up to 5.5 tons — to geo-transition orbit. The rocket is designed to compete with companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin and Stoke Space.
