The all-private mission aims to launch a Mars-bound spacecraft and lander atop a 3D-printed rocket:
Private space companies Impulse Space and Relativity Space have announced an ambitious joint venture poised to be the first commercial mission to Mars, which will feature the launch of a payload as soon as 2024.
A revived interest in space has private companies shifting their attention to Mars, and a new collaboration announced Tuesday between Impulse Space and Relativity Space could be the first commercial landing on the red planet. Impulse Space is a company founded by Tom Mueller, a SpaceX alum, that specializes in getting payloads into and around space. Relativity Space, meanwhile, focuses on the production of spacecrafts using 3D metal printing, artificial intelligence, and autonomous robotics. Impulse will contribute their Mars Cruise Vehicle and Mars Lander to Relativity's Terran R, which is a completely 3D printed launch vehicle. The launch will occur from Florida's Cape Canaveral as early as 2024, and the companies have an exclusive agreement to launch there until 2029.
The companies say that the Mars lander will support the research and development of future planetary settlements, but additional details on how the lander will do that specifically are thin. [...] In other words, Relativity as a company hasn't even launched a rocket yet, and Impulse Space has not yet tested one of their payloads in orbit, according to Eric Berger from Ars Technica.
The first step on any successful journey is to create a slick concept video.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by legont on Friday July 22 2022, @01:51AM (4 children)
3D printing, AI, even AR - with a slick video - all the characteristics of a scam.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 5, Funny) by c0lo on Friday July 22 2022, @02:11AM (2 children)
Relativity space - rockets [relativityspace.com]
Everything geared to.... put cars in LEO [relativityspace.com] (just look at the picture)
At least they say they performed fire tests ("To date, Aeon has completed 500+ test fires.")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 22 2022, @03:23AM
The rocket of the future, TODAY!
(Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Saturday July 23 2022, @02:20AM
Relativity has had a launch tentatively scheduled [nextspaceflight.com] each month for maybe the last four months or more. Still waiting for the first to go up.
Me? I'm waiting for the Firefly Alpha | To The Black [nextspaceflight.com] to make it up from Vandenberg.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 22 2022, @09:55AM
If 3D printing can create more mass efficient structures, then it could make a lot of sense for rockets. AI to make up for the lack of employees. AR...?
(Score: 0) by normalguy on Friday July 22 2022, @05:06AM
Dual use? Saturn V = Minuteman III?
(Score: 3, Touché) by NateMich on Friday July 22 2022, @01:55PM
I've already heard of both of them.