Launch Debut of 3D-Printed Rocket Ends in Failure, No Orbit

Spectators at Jetty Park in Cape Canaveral, Fla., watch as Terran I, a 3D-printed rocket by Relativity Space, lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station late on March 22, 2023. Craig Bailey/Florida Today via AP

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—A rocket made almost entirely of 3D-printed parts made its launch debut Wednesday night, lifting off amid fanfare but failing three minutes into flight—far short of orbit.

There was nothing aboard Relativity Space’s test flight except for the company’s first metal 3D print made six years ago.