Relativity Space factory illustration
An artist’s rendering shows Relativity Space’s autonomous rocket factory in Long Beach, Calif. (Relativity Space Illustration via Business Wire)

Relativity Space, the rocket company that was born in Seattle and headed south to Los Angeles, says it’s moving into a new 120,000-square-foot headquarters and factory in Long Beach, Calif., that will use giant robotic 3-D printers to make launch vehicles.

  • The new facility will house Stargate 3-D printers capable of producing one-piece structures up to 40 feet in height for its two-stage, 110-foot-tall Terran 1 rocket, said David Giger, Relativity’s vice president for launch vehicle development. “We can build our entire second stage,” Giger told GeekWire.
  • Giger said Relativity expects to be fully moved into the Long Beach facility, not far from its current L.A. headquarters, by May or June. “This Long Beach facility is really an enabler for a revolution in how rockets are produced,” he said. “It’s the first autonomous rocket factory ever.”
  • Relativity’s CEO, Tim Ellis, is a veteran of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture who co-founded the startup in 2015. Although Terran 1 isn’t due to get off the ground until next year in Florida, Relativity is already aspiring to be a next-generation SpaceX.
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