In-Depth View Of Relativity Space’s Factory Process
The cheaper and easier it is to make a rocket, the faster and more cost-effective you can produce them. This is what the private company Relativity Space is putting a lot of effort into. They are doing this through the 3D printing process. However, there are a lot of different parts and complications that come with this operation. This can bring up the question of how exactly does Relativity 3D print a rocket.
There are a few key differences from Relativity Space’s factory that separate the private company from many others. Some of the main aspects include the world’s largest 3D printers, automation, unique technology, and more. All of which help not only produce rockets for significantly cheaper but also a lot faster and smoother.
While Relativity Space is still very new to the space industry, they have put a lot of effort into the production and development side of their space venture. Specifically, looking through their factory you can find a lot of innovative and interesting design choices and additions that help make it stand out. This is necessary if they want to successfully produce high-quality 3D printed launch vehicles.
What Do Normal Rocket Factories Look Like?
Before taking a look at Relativity Space’s factory, it’s important to look at other companies and agencies in the space industry and specifically how they work on and create rockets. The first company I want to highlight is ULA. United Launch Alliance has been developing and creating high-quality and very consistent launch vehicles for many years now. They have an impeccable track record and a large list of current, past, and future launch vehicles they are working on. Currently, ULA is working on the Vulcan, this is a next-generation launch vehicle meant to provide a quality launch service for many different satellites and more. Taking a closer look inside the ULA factory, you start with shipments of large sheets of metal. These are usually expensive composites that work to reduce weight and add strength. United Launch Alliance then machine the material with an ortho grid, shape the large segment, and friction weld each part until you have a single rocket body component.
Another example could be SpaceX. Right now SpaceX is doing practically all of the Starship assembly and work in Boca Chica, Texas. Here they receive large shipments of stainless steel. They then cut, form, and weld large barrel sections of Starship. Finally, they stack and weld the entire body of either Starship or Super Heavy. This is a very simplified explanation but shows the main aspects of rocket assembly from other companies developing launch vehicles. Both SpaceX and ULA have different advantages and disadvantages from the way they develop rockets. SpaceX has managed to create Starship prototypes faster than anything we have seen prior in the space industry.
Unique Features
Automation – One of the biggest aspects of Relativity Space’s factory design and process that is different from the rest of the space industry is automation. Relativity Space says “For 60 years, aerospace manufacturing has relied on large factories, fixed tooling, complex supply chains, and extensive manual labor to build costly rockets comprised of 100,000+ parts in 2 years or longer.” Relativity on the other hand is working to completely change this process. The private company did this by creating what they call the factory of the future. Here they automate rocket manufacturing, vertically integrating intelligent robotics, software, and data-driven 3D printing technology. Using the largest 3D printer in the world, Relativity use AI-driven controls to automate the majority of the rocket building and manufacturing process. This comes in stark contrast to the rest of the space industry. Other companies and agencies are only slowly or partially working with automation. SpaceX for example has a group of robots that are used for welding, installing heat shielding and more. However, the process is not nearly as automated as the work at Relativity Space.
Largest 3D Printers – Another unique feature of Relativity Space’s factory and building process are the 3D printers themselves. Specifically, Relativity uses the largest 3D printers in the world to print rockets such as Terran 1. These massive printers allow the company to print entire sections of the rocket at a single time. This not only helps improve the strength of the rocket but speeds up the process a lot as well. The company is working towards printing entire rockets in only 60 days from completely raw materials. This is a unique aspect compared to a lot of other companies. Relativity gets shipments of raw materials which they then feed into the different 3D printers. This all is a part of the 3D printing system which also reduces the need for additional parts. Relativity Space mentions a reduction in zero fixed tooling and radical part counts. This in return helps with quality control, design interactions, and machine learning. Additionally, the fewer parts Relativity needs and the simpler the build process, the smoother the entire factory process goes when building a rocket.
Advanced Technology – The last part of Relativity Space’s factory process that is interesting is the use of advanced technology. This comes in three main ways including proprietary materials, AI controls, and sensors and analytics. Starting with the proprietary materials that the private company uses. 3D printing rockets presents the difficult issue of ensuring the rocket is strong enough for the many forces it will go through. Relativity worked to create custom alloys that would work for printing. These alloys are designed for printers, meet structural requirements, and more. The company even has a material characterization lab within the facility for quickly iterating on new alloy development. Then there are complex AI controls. Relativity is working with AI for real-time quality control and part inspection. Specifically, they use algorithms to ensure the product is not only extremely consistent but also in practically perfect condition. Finally, there are many sensors collecting detailed analytics throughout the entire process. This includes verification and validation data captured during manufacturing, scalable system architecture, and cloud-based manufacturing simulations and training.
Future Impact
What Relativity Space is currently doing will likely have a very big impact on the future of rocket development. Not only in the process of 3D printing but a more advanced and automated factory manufacturing system. No matter what agency or company within the space industry, they are all trying to reduce costs and speed up production and launch time. If successful, Relativity Space could be a pioneer in a lot of these different complex processes. The use of advanced technology, automation, and 3D printers means the company can automate very complex launch vehicles extremely consistently. At the same time it can be cost-effective and a lot faster. This is why other companies and agencies may follow in Relativity Space’s footsteps in the future.
Conclusion
Relativity Space is working hard to completely change how rockets are developed and manufactured. For practically the entirety of space development, rockets have been built and manufactured in the same way. This process usually takes a lot of parts, time, and has a long list of complications throughout the process. Relativity Space is working to change this with the largest 3D printers, automation, and advanced technology. All of which help reduce costs, speed up the process, improve consistency, and more. Depending on how successful Relativity Space is, we could end up seeing this type of factory and manufacturing process a lot more popular in the future of the space industry.