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Relativity Space’s first 3D-printed rocket booster passes early tests
Relativity Space CEO Tim Ellis says that the startup’s first 3D-printed ‘Terran-1’ rocket booster has already completed a few significant tests after arriving at its Florida launch pad last month.
Terran-1 is an expendable two-stage launch vehicle that, when assembled for the first time, will measure around 33 meters (110 ft) tall, 2.3 meters (7.5 ft) wide, and weigh 9.3 tons (~20,500 lb) empty. Fueled by liquid oxygen and methane (methalox) and powered by nine small Aeon engines, the first Terran booster will produce around 90 tons (~200,000 lbf) of thrust at liftoff. Altogether, the rocket is designed to initially launch up to 1.25 tons (~2750 lb) to low Earth orbit, with plans to expand to 1.5 tons (~3300 lb) in the future. SpaceX’s Falcon 9, for context, measures 3.7 meters (12 ft) wide, 70 meters (~230 ft) tall, likely weighs around 30 tons (~65,000 lb) dry, and can launch 22.8 tons (~50,250 lb) to LEO in an expendable configuration. A single one of its nine Merlin 1D booster engines produces about as much thrust as the entire first stage of Terran-1.
While tiny in comparison, Terran-1’s booster is still a relatively large and powerful rocket, and testing it poses significant challenges. Instead of building a custom test stand elsewhere, Relativity has chosen to conduct almost all first-stage qualification testing at its Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) LC-16 pad.
That plan increases the risk of the rocket damaging Relativity’s only available launch pad, significantly delaying launch preparations, but it also has the potential to save time by doubling as a launch pad shakedown. Aside from basic concrete features and foundations, LC-16 was essentially a blank slate when Relativity arrived, so qualifying the pad – virtually all of which is new and recently installed – is no small feat on its own.
Relativity’s first Terran-1 flight hardware has performed shockingly well. The smaller single-engine upper stage sailed through a full program of proof tests – including a full-duration static fire – shortly before shipping to LC-16. Terran-1’s first booster, meanwhile, left Relativity’s California factory and arrived at LC-16 to begin its own qualification testing in early June.
On June 28th, CEO Tim Ellis revealed that the booster had already completed “pneumatic proof testing” and made it through its “first propellant loading” test less than a month after arriving at LC-16. That would be fast for the first prototype of any new orbital-class rocket, but Relativity’s Terran-1 has an extremely unique feature that makes that speed even more impressive: by mass, the vast majority (85%) of the rocket was manufactured with 3D printing. In effect, most of Terran’s airframe and tanks are just giant, continuous welds that were precisely manipulated into cylinders, domes, and more. While the rough surface finish leaves something to be desired and likely reduces the overall efficiency of the rocket’s airframe, Relativity says that the composition of the metal in its printed structures is almost identical to a more traditionally-manufactured component.
Relativity’s ultimate hope is that the technical groundwork it is laying will allow it to manufacture complex and high-performance rockets with minimal human intervention, drastically lowering production costs. One day, the descendants of those semi-autonomous factories might even be used to construct rockets and other complex machines and infrastructure on Mars or other extraterrestrial destinations.
First, though, the company needs to start successfully launching Terran-1 rockets and fully prove the concept. Up next, Relativity will likely perform a full wet dress rehearsal, a launch simulation in which the rocket is loaded with propellant and pressurized for flight. Once that step is complete, Relativity will attempt one or several static fire tests, culminating in a full-duration multi-minute static fire or “mission duty cycle.”
SpaceX has disclosed the full financial details of its groundbreaking agreement with Anthropic, confirming that the AI company will pay $1.25 billion per month for dedicated high-performance computing resources.
The revelation came through SpaceX’s latest securities filing in preparation for its initial public offering, shedding light on one of the largest compute deals in the artificial intelligence sector to date. The prospectus was released last night, as SpaceX is heading toward its IPO.
This arrangement underscores the fierce demand for specialized infrastructure as frontier AI models require unprecedented levels of processing power to train and operate effectively. Industry analysts see the disclosure as a significant milestone, highlighting how top AI labs are locking in massive capacity to stay ahead in a rapidly accelerating field.
For SpaceX, it feels like a massive move that pushes its perception as a company from space exploration to artificial intelligence.
SpaceX is following in Tesla’s footsteps in a way nobody expected
The comprehensive deal grants Anthropic exclusive access to SpaceX’s Colossus clusters, encompassing Colossus I and the substantially expanded Colossus II, which together deliver hundreds of megawatts of power along with more than 200,000 NVIDIA GPUs.
Payments extend through May 2029, totaling nearly $45 billion overall; capacity is scheduled to ramp up during May and June 2026 at an initial discounted rate to facilitate seamless integration. Both companies retain the option to terminate the agreement with ninety days’ notice, so there is definitely some flexibility for both.
This pact not only enhances Anthropic’s ability to scale usage limits for Claude users but also injects substantial recurring revenue into SpaceX, bolstering its expansion into advanced data center operations and future orbital computing initiatives.
Observers describe the collaboration between the two companies as strategically advantageous because it gives Anthropic cutting-edge AI development the opportunity to collaborate with SpaceX’s expertise in rapid, large-scale infrastructure deployment.
This disclosure arrives at a pivotal moment when computing resources have become the primary bottleneck for AI progress.
As leading organizations compete to build more powerful systems, securing reliable, high-density facilities has emerged as a key differentiator.
SpaceX’s sites, such as those in Memphis, offer superior power availability and advanced cooling solutions that set them apart from conventional providers. For Anthropic, the added capacity is expected to deliver tangible improvements, including extended context windows, quicker inference times, and innovative features that appeal to both enterprise clients and individual users.
Looking ahead, the partnership paves the way for ambitious joint projects, including potential space-based AI compute platforms designed to overcome terrestrial limitations on energy and thermal management. Such efforts could redefine sustainable computing at massive scales.
Financially, the deal solidifies SpaceX’s diverse revenue profile ahead of its public market debut, extending beyond traditional aerospace activities. The massive check SpaceX will cash each month opens up the idea that additional
While some experts question the sustainability of these enormous expenditures given ongoing efficiency gains in AI architectures, the commitment reflects a strong belief in sustained demand growth.
The agreement also exemplifies productive synergies across sectors, with aerospace engineering insights optimizing AI hardware performance. As global attention on technology concentration increases, arrangements of this nature may help shape equitable access to critical resources.
Elon Musk
SpaceX just filed for the IPO everyone was waiting for
SpaceX filed its public S-1, revealing $18.7 billion in revenue and billions in losses.
SpaceX publicly filed its S-1 registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 20, 2026, making its financial details available to the public for the first time ahead of what could be the largest IPO in history.
An S-1 is the formal document a company must submit to the SEC before going public. It includes audited financials, risk factors, business descriptions, and how the company plans to use the money it raises. Companies are required to file one before selling shares to the public, and it must be published at least 15 days before the investor roadshow begins. SpaceX had already submitted a confidential draft to the SEC in April, which allowed regulators to review the filing privately before it went public.
The S-1 reveals that SpaceX generated $18.7 billion in consolidated revenue in 2025, driven largely by its Starlink satellite internet division, which posted $11.4 billion in revenue, growing nearly 50% year over year. Despite that growth, the company lost about $4.9 billion in 2025 and has burned through more than $37 billion since its founding.
SpaceX just forced Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile to team up for the first time in history
A significant portion of those losses trace back to xAI, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, which was recently merged into SpaceX. SpaceX directed roughly 60% of its capital spending in 2025 to its AI division, totaling around $20 billion, yet that division lost billions and grew revenue by only about 22%.
SpaceX plans to list its Class A common stock on Nasdaq under the ticker SPCX, with Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Bank of America leading the offering. The dual-class share structure means going public will not meaningfully reduce Musk’s control, as Class B shares he holds carry 10 votes per share compared to one vote for public Class A shares.
The company is targeting a raise of around $75 billion at a valuation of roughly $1.75 trillion, which would make it the largest IPO ever. The investor roadshow is reportedly planned for June 5.
Tesla has scaled back driver monitoring to be less naggy with the latest version of the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) suite, which is version 14.3.3.
The latest version is already earning praise from owners, who are reporting that the suite is far less invasive when it comes to keeping drivers from taking their eyes off the road. The first to mention it was notable Tesla community member on X known as Zack, or BLKMDL3.
14.3.3 nags less too https://t.co/IuiWzuYO6O
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 18, 2026
Musk confirmed that v14.3.3 was made to nag drivers significantly less, something that Tesla has worked toward in the past and has said with previous versions that it is less likely to push drivers to look ahead, at least after looking away for a few seconds.
This refinement aligns with Tesla’s ongoing push toward unsupervised FSD. The update also brings faster Actual Smart Summon (now up to 8 mph), reliable “Hey Grok” voice commands, richer visualizations, smoother Mad Max acceleration, and an intervention streak counter that rewards consistent use. Reviewers describe the drive as more human-like and confident, with fewer twitches or unnecessary maneuvers.
Musk has repeatedly signaled this direction. In late 2025, he stated that FSD would allow phone use “depending on context of surrounding traffic,” noting safety data would justify relaxing rules so drivers could text in low-risk scenarios like stop-and-go traffic.
We tested this, and even still, the cell phone monitoring really seems to be less active in terms of alerting drivers:
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2.1 texting and driving: we tested it
Earlier, ahead of v14, Musk promised the system would “nag the driver much less” once safety metrics improved.
In 2023, he confirmed the steering wheel torque nag would be “gradually reduced, proportionate to improved safety,” shifting reliance to the cabin camera. Subsequent updates like v13.2.9 and v12.4 further loosened monitoring, cracking down on workarounds while easing legitimate distractions.
These steps reflect Tesla’s data-driven approach: FSD’s safety record—reportedly averaging millions of miles per crash—now outpaces human drivers in many scenarios, giving the company confidence to dial back interventions. Reduced nags improve usability and trust, encouraging more drivers to rely on the system rather than disengaging out of frustration.
However, there are certainly still some concerns. In many states, it is illegal to handle a cell phone in any way, requiring the use of hands-free devices. In Pennsylvania, it is illegal to use your cell phone at stop lights, which is definitely a step further than using it while the car is actively in motion.
v14.3.3 represents tangible progress. Making FSD less adversarial and more seamless is definitely a step forward, but drivers need to be aware of the dangers of distracted driving. FSD is extremely capable, but it is in no way fully autonomous, nor does its performance warrant owners to take their attention off the road.
SpaceX reveals what Anthropic will pay for massive compute deal
SpaceX just filed for the IPO everyone was waiting for
