Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt took on top job at an ambitious launch startup.
Schmidt, who led Google from 2001 to 2011, has been appointed CEO of Relativity Space, a California company that builds rockets to compete with SpaceX and other major players in the launch industry.
Schmidt, who is it? It’s worth about $33 billionWe also make “important” financial investments in the field of relativity. According to the New York Timesdefeated the story on Monday (March 10th).
Relativity Space was founded in early 2016 by Tim Ellis and Jordan Noone. Schmidt will take over Ellis CEO, who remains on the board. According to SpaceNews. (No one resigned from his role as Chief Technology Officer of Relativity Space 2020. )
video: 3D Printed Rocket and Future Relativity Space CEO Tim Ellis
In 2017, Relativity Space began developing its first rocket. This is a relatively small 3D printed vehicle called the Terran 1. In March 2023, the two-stage consumable Terran 1 flew first and only time, earning many milestones, but failed to reach orbit.
Shortly afterwards, the company retired from Terran 1 and focused on the larger, partially reusable Terran R, which is scheduled to debut in 2026. That shift was not a major surprise. Relativity Space emphasized that Terran 1 is a more powerful Terran R pathfinder.
The Terran R features a first reusable phase, like SpaceX’s Workhorse Falcon 9. The two rockets have similar lift capacity. 26 tons (23.5 tons) of Terran R compared to 25.1 tons (22.8 tons) of Falcon 9.
Relative space is called It has already signed a Terran R launch agreement worth more than $2.9 billion.
Like its competitor SpaceX, Relativity Space dreams very big.
“In the field of relativity, there is a long-term goal of creating an industrial base for humanity on Mars.” Website status.
“The first chapter of that journey is to design, build and fly rockets to deliver customers’ payloads to orbit, and to deliver customers’ payloads. Our work shapes the future of space exploration building towards interplanetary society between Earth and Mars. The next chapter begins now.”
