Startup banks on military launches

Relativity Space will be one of the few domestic players in a segment of the market dominated by foreign firms. This could put the company, which is focused on building 3D printed rockets, in an advantageous position to compete for military contracts. A launch site in the United States will be selected later this year. The company expects to fly its Terran 1 rocket by late 2020, with a goal to start commercial launches in 2021. Terran’s 3D printed engine, named Aeon 1, is being tested at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, Miss., where the company signed a 20-year lease. A feature story. (Source: SpaceNews, 07/01/18)