WASHINGTON \u2014 Relativity Space struck a deal with Space Florida to build manufacturing and test facilities for its Terran R rocket on Florida\u2019s Space Coast.<\/p>\n
Space Florida, the state\u2019s space development and financing authority, announced July 21 that it signed an agreement to help finance construction of a new production facility for the company\u2019s Terran R rocket near Cape Canaveral.<\/p>\n
The agreement also includes a commitment by Relativity Space to expand test and launch infrastructure at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Florida Department of Transportation will provide up to $134 million in financing for those projects through its Spaceport Improvement Program.<\/p>\n
\u201cExpanding our capacity in Florida enables our ability to scale the Terran R program to support commercial, scientific and national security missions,\u201d Eric Schmidt, chief executive of Relativity, said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The new production facility, whose exact location was not announced by the company or Space Florida, would be in addition to Relativity\u2019s existing factory in Long Beach, California. The company did not disclose a schedule for the factory, although Space Florida said the investments would create \u201cthousands of high-paying new jobs\u201d in the state by the end of 2034.<\/p>\n
Relativity is developing Terran R, a medium-lift launch vehicle with a reusable first stage. The company will conduct launches from Cape Canaveral\u2019s Launch Complex 16.<\/p>\n
Relativity has issued a regular series of updates on development of Terran R and upgrades to the launch site, but has not recently stated when it expects the rocket to be ready for its first launch. The company, though, was recently added to the Space Force\u2019s National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 contract<\/a>, making it eligible to compete for future launches by the service that do not require the highest levels of mission assurance reserved for Lane 2 missions.<\/p>\n A Florida production facility for Terran R, besides providing additional capacity, could improve the company\u2019s logistics. In recent updates, Relativity noted it transported a Terran R second stage from its California factory to NASA\u2019s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi for testing by ship through the Panama Canal, suggesting it will have to take the same approach to transport stages to its Florida launch site.<\/p>\n Launch capacity concerns<\/p>\n Florida officials hailed the deal. \u201cRelativity is exactly the partner that helps advance our mission to solidify Florida as the world\u2019s hub for aerospace commerce,\u201d Rob Long, president and chief executive of Space Florida, said in a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cThis project is a win for Florida\u2019s commercial space economy and is the direct result of how our infrastructure, strategy and talent ecosystem makes Florida the inevitable choice. We look forward to actively helping them grow in our state,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n