Relativity Space’s Terran R, while similar in performance to the Falcon 9, looks more like SpaceX’s Starship vehicle, from its metallic finish to the aerodynamic design of the upper stage. And, like Starship, both stages of Terran R are intended to be reusable. Credit: Relativity Space
For years after Boeing and Lockheed Martin combined their launch vehicle businesses into a joint venture, United Launch Alliance had a lock on the medium- to heavy-lift launch market in the United States. SpaceX would eventually challenge that, but it would take years of effort, including a lawsuit, for that company to win national security launch business. That created a SpaceX/ULA duopoly that survived competition from Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman to win National Security Space Launch Phase 2 contracts last year.
The next time around, SpaceX and ULA may face even more competition. Besides the prospect of Blue Origin and perhaps Northrop Grumman bidding on future contracts, startups that originally focused on small launch vehicles are looking to move into larger markets. In recent months, both Relativity Space and Rocket Lab have unveiled plans for rockets that can serve medium-class payloads for commercial and government customers. The two companies, while sharing similar ambitions, are taking different approaches to developing larger vehicles.
