Rocket Report: SLS rocket almost ready to roll, ULA workers prepared to strike

Enlarge / Not one, but two Electron rockets on Rocket Lab's launch pads in New Zealand. (credit: Rocket Lab)

Welcome to Edition 4.33 of the Rocket Report! Let me apologize about the lack of a report last week-I injured my wrist pretty badly and for a few days had to type with one hand. This is not conducive for writing and editing a newsletter that often runs more than 2,000 words. Also, there are an immense number of things happening on space and Earth, particularly with Russia and Ukraine and the West. I'm working on a story about the ways in which spaceflight could be affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, so look for a story on that sometime Friday. Hopefully.

As always, we welcome reader submissions, and if you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.

Relativity Space to move quickly to Aeon-R engine.
To power its first Terran 1 rocket, Relativity Space is developing a small engine called Aeon 1. But the company only plans on using it for a few flights. Instead, Relativity plans to quickly perform a "block upgrade" for the Terran 1, which will serve as a bridge to the much larger, more capable Terran R rocket. "We've always envisioned Terran 1 being a development platform," said Tim Ellis, the co-founder and chief executive of Relativity Space, in an interview with Ars. The California-based company, which seeks to 3D-print most of its rocket parts, is continuing to work toward the first launch of Terran 1 this year.

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