What is Relativity Space?
Launch company developing the partially reusable Terran R rocket with additive manufacturing and methane engines.
- Category
- Reusable launch vehicles
- Headquarters
- Long Beach, CA
- Founded
- 2015
- Employees
- ~1,200
- Total funding
- ~$1.3B disclosed
- Valuation
- $4.2B last disclosed valuation; Eric Schmidt control reported
What is Relativity Space?
Relativity Space is a reusable launch vehicles company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Long Beach, CA.
Relativity Space is a reusable launch vehicles company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Long Beach, CA. Launch company developing the partially reusable Terran R rocket with additive manufacturing and methane engines. Public revenue is not disclosed; the best scale signals are ~1,200 employees, ~$1.3B disclosed in disclosed funding or financing, and named strategic customers, investors, or project partners.
The company operates in a market where buyers care about technical proof, safety, regulatory execution, deployment reliability, and bankable unit economics. Its product surface includes Terran R, Aeon R engines, Stargate 3D printing, Launch services, with commercialization tied to long sales cycles and real-world deployment milestones.
For sellers, Relativity Space should be treated as a sophisticated technical buyer rather than a conventional SaaS account. Engineering and operations leaders shape architecture, finance and legal shape contract structure, and executives usually become involved when the purchase touches strategic capacity, manufacturing, safety, or regulated deployment.
What does Relativity Space offer?
Relativity Space's product set centers on Terran R, Aeon R engines, Stargate 3D printing.
- Terran R· Launch vehicle
- Aeon R engines· Propulsion
- Stargate 3D printing· Manufacturing
- Launch services· Commercial
- Long Beach factory· Manufacturing
- Cape Canaveral launch operations· Launch site
How does Relativity Space make money?
Relativity sells orbital launch services through mission contracts and launch manifests; revenue depends on Terran R becoming operational.
Relativity sells orbital launch services through mission contracts and launch manifests; revenue depends on Terran R becoming operational. The company does not publish simple self-serve pricing because contracts are tied to deployment scope, physical capacity, engineering services, risk allocation, and long-term operating obligations.
Terran R pricing is not public. Launch economics are negotiated by payload mass, orbit, schedule priority, integration requirements, insurance, and reuse cadence. Growth is driven by converting technical proof into repeatable commercial deployments, then expanding with customers or partners that can absorb larger volumes, additional sites, or more mission-critical workloads.
Unit economics depend less on seat expansion and more on utilization, manufacturing yield, project execution, contract duration, and the cost of capital. As Relativity Space scales, procurement becomes more formal: vendors should be ready for safety, security, quality, compliance, and finance reviews before broad rollout.
Who leads Relativity Space?
Relativity Space is led by Eric Schmidt, with technical, commercial, and operating leadership built around reusable launch vehicles.
- Eric SchmidtCEOCEO since Mar 2025Former Google CEO; reportedly took controlling interest and leads turnaround.
- Tim EllisCo-founder & board memberCo-founder since 2015; CEO until 2025Founded Relativity and remains on the board.
- Jordan NooneCo-founder / advisorCo-founder since 2015Original CTO and additive-manufacturing architect.
- Zach DunnPropulsion / engineering leaderExecutive leadershipLongtime engineering leader tied to Aeon and Terran development.
How do you contact Relativity Space's leadership?
Use published company channels first. Personal addresses below are format-following examples using relativityspace.com; verify before outreach unless the address is a role inbox listed as published.
first.last@relativityspace.com (format-following example; verify before outreach)How much funding has Relativity Space raised?
Relativity Space has ~$1.3B disclosed; latest disclosed valuation/status is $4.2B last disclosed valuation; Eric Schmidt control reported.
Relativity Space's disclosed financing history is concentrated in these major public events: 2015-2018: Seed through Series B; Oct 2019: Series C - $140M; Nov 2020: Series D - $500M at $2.3B valuation; Jun 2021: Series E - $650M at $4.2B valuation; Mar 2025: Control investment / leadership reset. The latest disclosed valuation or status is $4.2B last disclosed valuation; Eric Schmidt control reported, and the company has not disclosed full revenue or profitability.
2015-2018: Seed through Series B. YC, Social Capital, Playground, and early investors fund 3D-printed rocket development. Oct 2019: Series C - $140M. Bond and Tribe Capital back Terran 1 and Stargate manufacturing scale-up. Nov 2020: Series D - $500M at $2.3B valuation. Tiger Global and growth investors fund launch vehicle scale. Jun 2021: Series E - $650M at $4.2B valuation. Led by Fidelity to build Terran R and larger factory capacity. Mar 2025: Control investment / leadership reset. Eric Schmidt becomes CEO; financial terms are not publicly disclosed.
The funding signal matters because this is a capital-intensive reusable launch vehicles company. Large rounds typically fund facilities, hardware, qualification, regulatory work, safety systems, and commercial teams, so sellers should expect formal technical review, finance scrutiny, security or compliance review, and multi-stakeholder procurement.
How did Relativity Space get here?
Relativity Space's path runs from its 2015 founding through financing, technical proof, and commercial deployment milestones.
- 2015Company foundedTim Ellis and Jordan Noone start Relativity in Los Angeles.
- Jun 2021Terran R factory announcedRelativity takes over a former Boeing C-17 plant in Long Beach.
- Mar 2023Terran 1 first flightThe 3D-printed rocket launches but does not reach orbit after second-stage failure.
- Apr 2023Shift to Terran RRelativity retires Terran 1 and goes all-in on larger reusable Terran R.
- Mar 2025Eric Schmidt named CEOLeadership changes as Terran R development timeline is updated.
- 2026 targetTerran R first launch pendingPublic guidance points to a first Terran R launch no earlier than late 2026.
Who are Relativity Space's competitors?
Relativity Space competes with specialized startups and incumbents adjacent to reusable launch vehicles.
- SpaceXDominant reusable launch provider with Falcon 9 and Starship.
- Rocket LabOperational launch provider moving from Electron to Neutron.
- Blue OriginNew Glenn heavy-lift launcher and reusable booster competitor.
- Firefly AerospaceMedium launch and space services competitor.
- ABL Space SystemsLaunch startup targeting responsive small/medium launch.
Relativity Space — frequently asked questions
