Relativity Space
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Overview
Relativity Space is an aerospace manufacturer developing fully reusable rockets using advanced 3D printing and autonomous manufacturing technologies. Their flagship vehicle, Terran R, is designed to lift 23,500 kg to low Earth orbit and land downrange for reuse. The company aims to make space access more reliable, affordable, and frequent through rapid prototyping and a lean engineering culture.
By the Numbers
Founders
Tim Ellis previously worked at Blue Origin on propulsion systems before co-founding Relativity Space at age 23. He has been the driving force behind the company's additive manufacturing-first approach to rocket production.
Ellis conceived of a rocket built almost entirely by 3D printers while still in his early 20s, pitching the idea as a way to collapse the rocket supply chain to just software and raw materials.
Jordan Noone worked at SpaceX as a propulsion engineer before co-founding Relativity Space alongside Tim Ellis. He departed from the company around 2021 to pursue other ventures.
Noone left Relativity Space to start Embedded Ventures, a deep-tech focused venture fund, while still in his late 20s.
Funding
Competitors
Far more mature and proven launch provider with Falcon 9 and Starship; vastly larger scale and manifest
Publicly traded, already operational with Electron and developing Neutron; competing for similar medium-lift commercial manifest
Also targeting small-to-medium commercial launch market with RS1 rocket using rapid manufacturing
Established legacy provider with government contracts; Vulcan Centaur targets similar payload class
Fully reusable rocket startup also targeting LEO; emphasis on rapid reusability with different technical approach
Key People
Josh Brost joined Relativity Space as CRO to lead commercial sales and government launch contracts. He previously held senior roles at SpaceX in business development.
Revenue & Model
Hiring Signals
Tech Stack
Notable Customers
Web Presence
Verified from public records — not AI-estimated.
Trackers & Analytics
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How They're Doing
Relativity Space pivoted away from its small Terran 1 rocket after a technically successful but payload-free first launch in March 2023, and is now fully focused on the much larger, fully reusable Terran R. The company significantly reduced its workforce from around 1,000 to roughly 60 employees in 2023-2024 as it restructured around Terran R development. This dramatic downsizing represents a high-risk but focused bet on a next-generation reusable medium-to-heavy lift vehicle.
●Terran 1 completed first launch in March 2023 but failed to reach orbit on its maiden flight
●Company laid off approximately 70% of staff in 2023-2024 to focus resources on Terran R development
Prognosis
Relativity Space faces a challenging road ahead as it attempts to develop Terran R with a skeleton crew and must raise significant additional capital to reach operational status. The reusable medium-lift market is attractive but intensely competitive, with SpaceX and Rocket Lab already entrenched. Success depends on executing its 3D-printing manufacturing thesis at scale, securing anchor launch contracts, and closing new funding rounds.
●Growing commercial LEO constellation market demands affordable medium-lift launch options
●3D-printing manufacturing advantage could dramatically reduce production costs and turnaround time if proven
●Dark Matter Lab and Interplanetary Sciences divisions signal potential expansion into spacecraft and mission services
●Department of Defense interest in resilient, domestic launch capacity
●Extremely lean headcount (~60 employees) makes executing complex rocket development very difficult
●Significant capital requirements remain before Terran R can fly, requiring new funding in a tighter venture market
●Terran 1 failed to reach orbit, raising questions about technical execution
●Intense competition from SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and other funded startups for the same payload class
Recent News
Terran 1 completes first launch; second stage fails to ignite, rocket does not reach orbit
Space.com
Relativity Space cancels Terran 1 program and pivots entirely to larger, reusable Terran R rocket
TechCrunch
Relativity Space lays off majority of staff, reducing headcount by ~70% as part of Terran R restructuring
The Verge
Relativity Space unveils Dark Matter Lab and Interplanetary Sciences divisions to broaden mission scope
Relativity Space
Relativity Space continues Terran R development with lean team, targeting mid-2020s first flight
Aviation Week
Controversies
Terran 1 failed to reach orbit on its March 2023 maiden launch; the rocket achieved first stage separation but the second stage engine failed to ignite, leaving it a technically partial success but a commercial failure.
Relativity Space laid off roughly 70% of its workforce (hundreds of employees) as it pivoted entirely to Terran R, drawing scrutiny over the abrupt strategic shift after raising over $1 billion.
Fun Facts
- 01Relativity Space's proprietary 3D printer, named Stargate, is one of the largest metal 3D printers in the world and can print rocket parts in days that would normally take months to manufacture.
- 02The company was founded by two engineers both under 25 years old who met while working at competing rocket companies (Blue Origin and SpaceX).
- 03Relativity Space originally aimed to print 95% of a rocket by mass using only raw materials and software — essentially collapsing a supply chain of thousands of parts into a single factory.
- 04After spending over $1 billion and building a rocket, the company chose to abandon its first vehicle entirely after just one launch attempt, a rare and bold strategic decision in aerospace.
Timeline
Launches Dark Matter Lab and Interplanetary Sciences divisions; continues Terran R development with lean team
Company lays off ~70% of workforce and pivots entirely to reusable Terran R development
Terran 1 completes first launch in March but fails to reach orbit; program cancelled in July
Terran 1 rolled out to launch pad; multiple launch attempts scrubbed due to technical issues
Raises $650M Series E at $4.2B valuation; Jordan Noone departs as CTO
Raises $500M Series D led by Tiger Global at ~$2.3B valuation
Raises $140M Series C; signs lease for Launch Complex 16 at Cape Canaveral
Company secures early seed funding and begins development of Stargate 3D printing system
Relativity Space founded by Tim Ellis and Jordan Noone in Los Angeles