Relativity

Ten companies bid for NASA small launch vehicle contract
A NASA small launch vehicle competition attracted bids from 10 companies, but half of them were effectively disqualified because of deficiencies or other problems.

Three companies win NASA small launch contracts
Three small launch vehicle developers won a combined $16.7 million in NASA contracts as part of an effort to support the development of new launch vehicles.

TriSept purchases Relativity launch for rideshare mission
Launch integration company TriSept has purchased a launch from Relativity Space that it plans to use for a smallsat rideshare mission as soon as 2022.

Relativity Space raises $500 million
Small launch vehicle startup Relativity Space has raised a $500 million funding round that the company says will enable it to accelerate its long-term vision of reshaping aerospace manufacturing.

Relativity co-founder steps aside
One of the two co-founders of launch vehicle company Relativity Space is stepping down as the company’s chief technology officer to create a new startup.

Relativity wins Iridium contract, selects West Coast launch site
Small launch vehicle developer Relativity Space has won a contract to launch six Iridium replacement satellites, which it plans to carry out from a new launch site it proposes to develop at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Relativity Space hires SpaceX executive to lead launch vehicle factory development
Relativity Space has hired a longtime SpaceX executive to help the startup scale up production of its small launch vehicle.

Space executive: Government can’t save every startup but can do a lot
Relativity Space VP: “The most impactful thing that government can do is actually go out and buy services from startups."

Spaceflight to launch startups: stop focusing on cool tech
Elizabeth Driscoll, business development director at Spaceflight, said the company is constantly in need of more launch options, but won’t rush to new vehicles without confidence they will deliver.

Relativity to move headquarters to Long Beach
Relativity Space, a startup using 3-D printing to manufacture small launch vehicles, will move its headquarters to Long Beach, joining several other launch vehicle companies in that Southern California city.

SpaceX says rideshare missions will launch on time, even if partly empty
SpaceX plans to launch regular Falcon 9 rideshare missions starting in March and won’t delay launches for tardy customers, a company executive said Oct. 8.

Relativity Space raises $140 million
Small launch vehicle company Relativity Space announced Oct. 1 it has raised a new round of $140 million, a sign of investor confidence despite strong competition and setbacks suffered by other vehicle developers.

Smallsat launch services feel pricing pressure
Companies that provide both dedicated and rideshare launch services for small satellites say that price remains a major factor for their customers, with pressure from growing competition to lower them.

Relativity signs launch agreement with Momentus
Small launch vehicle developer Relativity Space announced Sept. 11 a contract with Momentus to carry a set of small satellites to geostationary orbit.

Small launch vehicle companies seek improvements in government contracting
As Rocket Lab prepares the next launch of its Electron rocket, it and other small launch vehicle developers say the U.S. government can be a better, and smarter, customer for their services.