Relativity launches world's first 3D-printed rocket from Florida, surpasses objectives

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The world's first 3D-printed rocket shot off a Relativity Space pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station late Wednesday, leaving behind a never-before-seen streak of blue flames above Florida's sky thanks to new methane-fueled engines.

After a series of countdown issues – namely boats wandering into the rocket's keep-out zone – early on, the 110-foot Terran 1 rocket blasted off from Launch Complex 16 at 11:25 p.m. EDT and flew into clear skies. Relativity teams cheered as the rocket cleared the towers, separated the first and second stages, and began firing toward a low-Earth orbit.

Despite the fact that the second stage did not achieve orbit due to what appeared to be a loss of velocity, the team surpassed the primary mission objectives. Relativity had initially hoped to just clear the tower and fly past max-Q, or the phase of flight that introduces peak physical stress on rockets. But Terran 1 made it past those milestones and pushed to stage separation, giving way to the last Aeon engine's final push to orbit.

"The key inflection in my mind is surpassing max-Q, about 80 seconds into flight," co-founder and CEO Tim Ellis said via Twitter in early March. "We have already proven on the ground what we hope to prove in-flight – that when dynamic pressures and stresses on the vehicle are highest, 3D-printed structures can withstand these forces. This will essentially prove the viability of using additive manufacturing (3D printing) tech to produce products that fly."

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The mission known as "Good Luck, Have Fun" marked the first liftoff not only for the Terran 1 line of rockets, but for Relativity as a whole. But Terran can add a few more historic notes to its resume: