INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The launch industry is undergoing a number of major changes, among them the shift from traditional manufacturing to 3D printing — which
Relativity Space is spearheading
The company plans to build 95% of its rocket using the world biggest 3D printers, and could launch as early as next year
Co-founder and CEO Tim Ellis will be on hand at TC Sessions: Space in Los Angeles on June 25 to talk all about it.
Relativity has been on
our radar for a couple of years now, and to be honest we were all a bit skeptical when the proposition of 3D-printing a rocket was revealed
After all, additive manufacturing is known for its speed, not the strength or detail of its products
But our recent visit to the company bustling headquarters near LAX was an eye-opening one.
Relativity Space could change the economics of
private space launches
The challenges of this approach to rocketry are substantial, but the team has gone into it with their eyes open, and
the results are hard to argue with
Less mass, more strength, faster turnaround — and any drawbacks have been quantified and mitigated over countless tests and
analyses.
Although the resulting components are in a way mechanically simpler than hand-assembled alternatives, the process of creating them
is by no means simple itself
Ellis has been there for everything from the first wonky prints during their Y Combinator days to the latest high-precision, large-format
ones going through live testing
He&ll be onstage at TC Sessions: Space on June 25, sharing insights on the startup journey, technical details and plans for the company
future.
You can get early-bird tickets right now, and save $150 before prices go up on May 22 — and you can even bring a fifth person for
free if you bring a group of four from your company
Special discounts for current members of the government/military/nonprofit and students are also available directly on the website
And if you are an early-stage space startup looking to get exposure to decision makers, you can even exhibit for the day for just
$2,000.
This event will also feature a space startup pitch-off featuring five early-stage founders selected by TechCrunch editors
Applications open today; apply here.
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