NASA Adds Relativity Space’s Terran R Rocket to Launch Contract

NASA has awarded Relativity Space Inc. a spot on its Launch Services II contract, adding the company’s Terran R rocket to the roster of vehicles available for future agency missions. The move was announced through a contract release issued by NASA headquarters and confirmed by the agency’s Launch Services Program office at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The addition comes through what NASA calls an on-ramp provision, a mechanism built into the NLS II contract structure that lets new launch providers compete for missions or allows existing contractors to bring additional vehicles into the fold each year. With this action, Terran R becomes an eligible option for NASA to draw on when planning upcoming science and exploration flights.

The NLS II contracts themselves are structured as multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity agreements, meaning NASA can order launch services from a pool of qualified providers as needs arise rather than committing to a single vendor. The ordering period runs through June 2030, with the overall period of performance extending to December 2032. These contracts are designed to serve several parts of the agency, including the Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate, the Science Mission Directorate, and the Research and Technology Mission Directorate. Beyond NASA’s own needs, the contract vehicle also permits the agency to arrange launches on behalf of other federal bodies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The announcement reflects a broader pattern in how NASA has restructured its approach to acquiring launch services over the past decade, shifting away from bespoke, single-mission contracts toward standing agreements that can flex to accommodate new entrants in the commercial launch industry. That shift has coincided with a wave of new rocket programs emerging from companies aiming to challenge established providers, each seeking a foothold in government business that can lend credibility and steady revenue as they scale up commercial operations.

Relativity Space has built its reputation around large-scale 3D printing of rocket structures, an approach the company has said could shorten manufacturing timelines and reduce part counts compared to traditional aerospace manufacturing. Terran R is designed as a larger, reusable vehicle intended to compete in the medium-to-heavy lift segment of the launch market, a category that has drawn intense investment as satellite operators, government agencies, and constellation builders look for more frequent and lower-cost access to orbit. Landing a spot on NASA’s launch services contract does not guarantee a specific mission, but it does position a vehicle to be considered when the agency solicits bids for individual launch task orders.

For NASA, expanding the roster of eligible vehicles under NLS II is intended to foster competition among providers, which the agency has said can help control costs and reduce schedule risk by giving mission planners more options when matching a spacecraft to a rocket. The on-ramp provision is reviewed annually, giving both new and current contractors a recurring opportunity to update their offerings as vehicle development progresses.

NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy Space Center, is responsible for managing the NLS II contracts and overseeing the certification and integration work required before any vehicle carries an agency payload. The office coordinates with mission directorates across NASA to match spacecraft with appropriate launch vehicles and schedules.

According to the announcement, detailed by NASA, no specific missions have yet been assigned to Terran R under the contract.