Relativity has now filed a permit to upgrade Launch Complex 16 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station as the company moves full steam ahead with their reusable launch vehicle, Terran R. This comes after the company announced it was discontinuing the Terran 1 program so teams could solely focus on the upcoming launch vehicle. With the first launch of Terran R expected no earlier than 2026, the company is getting to work in Florida so the launch complex is prepared.
A bigger vehicle requires bigger infrastructure
The Terran R rocket will stand around 270 feet tall, measure 18 feet wide, and sport 13 Aeon R engines on the reusable first stage. This is a much more substantial launch vehicle than Terran 1, which required very little pad infrastructure compared to larger vehicles. But as Relativity pivots to this new vehicle, the company will need to beef up its ground support systems to handle the load. While the company won’t be demolishing the existing integration hangar or launch pad, it will be building a larger hangar beside the one used for Terran 1. The same is true for the new launch mount.
You will also be able to make out the new tank farm areas where the company will store liquid oxygen and methane. The iconic blockhouse will remain standing while Relativity builds some new support facilities in the area as well. In the site’s current state, it is pretty bare bones and doesn’t stand out on the horizon like SpaceX’s Starship/Super Heavy infrastructure at LC-39A a few miles away.
While the first launch of Terran R is still a few years away, Relativity will be working hard to get LC-16 ready to support its larger launch vehicle and we could see progress begin on these upgrades as soon as this year, though timelines are ever-changing.
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