Ex. Google’s Eric Schmidt Joins Relativity: Fierce competition for SpaceX?

It’s a significant development in the commercial space race: former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has taken the helm at Relativity Space, a company aiming to disrupt the launch industry with its 3D-printed rockets. Here’s a breakdown of the key points:  

Key Highlights:

• Leadership Change:
  • Eric Schmidt has stepped in as the new CEO of Relativity Space, marking his return to a CEO role after a long hiatus since his time at Google.  
  • He succeeds co-founder Tim Ellis, who will remain involved as a board member.  
• Relativity Space’s Innovation:
  • The company is known for its ambitious use of 3D printing in rocket manufacturing, aiming to streamline production and reduce costs.  
  • Their current focus is on the Terran R, a reusable rocket designed to compete with SpaceX’s Falcon 9.  
• Competition in the Space Industry:
  • Schmidt’s involvement intensifies the competition in the commercial space sector, which already features major players like SpaceX and Blue Origin.
  • Relativity Space’s goals include contributing to space-based manufacturing and even future Mars colonization, aligning with the broader ambitions of other industry leaders.  
• Terran R Rocket:
  • Relativity Space is focused on the Terran R rocket, which is a reusable rocket, planned to launch in 2026. This rocket is designed to compete directly with Spacex’s Falcon 9.  
  • There has been changes to the manufacturing process of the Terran R, with a hybrid approach, combining traditional manufacturing with additive manufacturing.

What This Means:

• Schmidt’s experience and resources bring significant weight to Relativity Space, potentially accelerating its development and growth.  
• The company’s innovative approach to rocket manufacturing, combined with strong leadership, could pose a serious challenge to established players in the space industry.
• This move shows that the commercial space sector is continuing to attract major figures from the tech industry.

In essence, Eric Schmidt’s move into Relativity Space signals a significant escalation in the commercial space race, with potentially far-reaching implications for the future of space exploration and commercialization.

About Relativety Space:

Relativity is building an end-to-end additive manufacturing system integrating robotics, controls software, and advanced simulation tools to manufacture large-scale metal structures. Collaborating across disciplines, the team is developing a unified platform for additive manufacturing, in-situ monitoring, and inspection within a single print cell. These innovations are progressing in parallel to Terran R development, with the goal to transform the industrial base.