NASA has added Relativity Space’s Terran R rocket to its potential launch service providers under the NASA Launch Services II program, allowing the startup to compete for mission contracts as the company simultaneously strikes a deal with Space Florida to expand its manufacturing footprint on the Space Coast.
The aerospace landscape at Cape Canaveral is shifting rapidly as infrastructure demands outpace legacy facilities. NASA added Relativity Space’s Terran R rocket to its roster of potential launch service providers for select missions, opening the door for the startup to bid on actual flight contracts. While the NASA Launch Services II program does not guarantee business, the inclusion marks a validation for a vehicle designed to upend traditional manufacturing.
Building Production Capacity on Florida’s Space Coast
To support its ambitions, Relativity Space struck an agreement with Space Florida to construct new manufacturing and test facilities for the Terran R rocket near Cape Canaveral. The Florida Department of Transportation is backing the expansion with up to $134 million in financing through its Spaceport Improvement Program. The deal also locks in commitments by the company to expand test and launch infrastructure at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Expanding our capacity in Florida enables our ability to scale the Terran R program to support commercial, scientific and national security missions,
Eric Schmidt, chief executive of Relativity, said in a statement.
The new production facility will complement Relativity’s existing factory in Long Beach, California. While neither the company nor Space Florida specified the exact location of the new plant, Space Florida estimates the investments will generate thousands of high-paying jobs in the state by the end of 2034. Beyond job creation, establishing a Florida production line solves a major logistical bottleneck. The company recently shipped a Terran R second stage from California to NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi via ship through the Panama Canal—a transit route that local manufacturing will help bypass.
A Disruptive Approach to 3D-Printed Rockets
The Terran R is a two-stage, medium-lift launch vehicle designed to stand 216 feet tall with a 16-foot diameter. The rocket is engineered to lift 20,000 kg into low-Earth orbit, putting its payload capacity close to the 22,800 kg capability of SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
Relativity plans to power the first stage with seven Aeon R 3D-printed engines, each generating 302,000 pounds of thrust, while the upper stage will rely on a single Aeon Vac engine. The company asserts that the entire vehicle—including the engines, both stages, and the payload fairing—will be fully reusable.
The manufacturing process blends artificial intelligence and autonomous robotics to print structures and engines using raw materials, yielding a reduced part count. The company closed a US$650 million Series E equity funding round to finance this long-term infrastructure scaling.
Navigating Launch Site Congestion and Future Infrastructure
Relativity’s expansion arrives as infrastructure on Florida’s Space Coast faces mounting strain. A June report from NASA’s Office of Inspector General warned that Kennedy Space Center could reach capacity by 2029 as launch activity surges.
The Cape was developed for a different space industry and program, and the infrastructure is challenged,
Brian Hughes, director of KSC, acknowledged during a panel discussion at Florida House. Hughes pointed to the introduced Space Ready 2.0 Act, sponsored by Sen. Ashley Moody and Rep. Mike Haridopolos, which would establish a pilot program allowing NASA to accept voluntary industry contributions for infrastructure upgrades.
In addition to its NASA consideration, Relativity was recently added to the Space Force’s National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 contract, making it eligible to compete for missions that do not require the highest tier of mission assurance. With its production footprint expanding in Florida and its vehicle evaluated for federal flight manifests, the startup is positioning itself for a crowded commercial market.
