Tech Titan Eric Schmidt Takes Charge at Relativity Space

Former Google CEO Invests in Commercial Launch Company

Eric Schmidt, renowned for his tenure as Google’s CEO from 2001 to 2011, has been named Chief Executive Officer of Relativity Space. Schmidt has also infused capital into the cash-starved company, giving it life and the means to finish its Terran-R medium lift rocket. That rocket is planned to fly from Cape Canaveral, Florida, as early as next year.

Eric Schmidt’s appointment follows a significant investment by him in Relativity Space, granting him a controlling stake in the company. He succeeds Tim Ellis, the co-founder and former CEO, who will continue to contribute as a board member. At this time, many other key leaders at Relativity have remained in their jobs.

Schmidt’s entrance into the aerospace sector is notable, given his extensive background in the technology industry. During his time at Google, Schmidt oversaw the company’s transformation from a fledgling internet search firm to a global leader in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and autonomous systems. He was also a leader at Sun Microsystems in the 1980s, and helped grow the company into the then-defacto standard in enterprise UNIX computing as well as a leader in scientific and the then-nascent Internet.

Schmidt has emphasized the importance of long-term vision, sustainability, and rapid iteration. His approach aligns with Relativity Space’s core philosophy of utilizing AI-driven automation and additive manufacturing to revolutionize spaceflight. Many industry experts believe that under Schmidt’s leadership, Relativity Space will aggressively pursue new partnerships and funding opportunities to solidify its position in the market.

Eric Schmidt Joins Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos In The Space Business

Relativity Space’s leadership change comes at a critical juncture, as competition in the private space sector intensifies. SpaceX and Rocket Lab have already established themselves as dominant forces in the commercial launch industry, with Blue Origin gearing up to join into the competition after its first successful flight of the New Glenn rocket in January.

Those companies are securing high-profile government and corporate contracts, but at the same time, it is believed that demand for orbital-class rockets outstrips demand, even with SpaceX launching Falcon 9 missions well over 100 times per year. To carve out its own niche, Relativity Space must demonstrate the viability of its technology and its ability to deliver reliable, cost-effective launch services at scale — something that only SpaceX and to a degree Rocket Lab have been able to demonstrate thus far.

Relativity Space, established in 2015, has rapidly gained attention for its pioneering approach to rocket manufacturing, notably utilizing 3D printing technologies. The company’s mission encompasses the development of reusable rockets, with aspirations to support missions to Mars and beyond. Relativity Space’s approach to aerospace innovation is focused on automation, scalability, and reducing costs associated with traditional manufacturing methods. By leveraging cutting-edge 3D printing techniques, the company can drastically reduce the number of parts required to construct rockets, ultimately increasing efficiency and reliability while decreasing the time needed to build new vehicles.

Central to Relativity’s forthcoming endeavors is the Terran R rocket, a medium-to-heavy lift launch vehicle designed with reusability and efficiency in mind. Standing at 284 feet (86.6 meters) tall with a 17.7-foot (5.4-meter) diameter payload fairing, Terran R is engineered to cater to both commercial and governmental payloads destined for low-Earth orbit (LEO), medium-Earth orbit (MEO), and geostationary orbit (GEO). The rocket’s first stage is planned to be fully reusable, employing landings on a drone ship positioned downrange from the launch site.

“We have all the elements to make Terran R a commercially competitive launch vehicle: a talented team producing flight hardware and critical subsystems every day, rapid component and system-level testing, strong financial footing, a backlog of over $2.9 billion, and the infrastructure to support both first launch and a scalable cadence in the future,” Mo Shahzad, Relativity’s President and Chief Financial Officer said recently. He added, “We recognize there is still plenty of work ahead, but the phenomenal progress across the program gives me great confidence in our ability to deliver Terran R to market for our customers.”

Relativity has made significant progress with its Aeon-R engine, and the company stated in a press release yesterday that “Our flight-intent engine has run for more than 1.5 times its reusable service life, accumulating over 2,500+ seconds of runtime. Across all engine configurations, we’ve logged over 6,300+ seconds of runtime.” Obviously, that statement underlines that Aeon-R is deep into development and may be nearing readiness for flight.

Once a cornerstone of its manufacturing philosophy, Relativity has scaled back 3D production of critical parts of Terran-R, namely its pressure tank domes and its payload fairings, choosing to outsource those items instead in order to get to the launch pad with the new rocket sooner rather than later.

Terran R is designed to carry up to 44,000 pounds (20,000 kilograms) to LEO, putting it in direct competition with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy. The rocket’s reusability will be key to driving down launch costs, making space more accessible to commercial clients, national security payloads, and scientific missions. The ability to rapidly iterate on designs and manufacture rockets with minimal human intervention could give Relativity Space a significant edge over its competitors.

The Road to Cape Canaveral

The inaugural flight of Terran R is slated for late 2026, launching from Launch Complex 16 (LC-16) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Construction efforts are actively underway at LC-16, with new foundations, piles, and concrete pouring for the launch pad and supporting facilities already completed. These developments mark significant progress in readying the site for Terran R’s debut.

The company previously attempted to launch its smaller Terran 1 rocket, which was intended to serve as a technology demonstrator. While the maiden flight of Terran 1 in 2023 successfully proved some of the company’s core manufacturing principles, it did not achieve full mission success due to a failure of the second stage after a successful boost provided by the rocket’s first stage. Almost immediately after that launch, the company ended the Terran 1 program and shifted its focus entirely to the larger and more capable Terran R, while abandoning plans for further Terran 1 missions.

With nearly $3 billion in launch contracts secured ahead of Terran R’s debut, Relativity Space could to make a substantial impact on the commercial space sector, but first, the company must finish Terran-R and get it to the launch pad. After proving the rocket’s capabilities it must then prove that it can build it at scale and provide a reliable, cost-effective option in the crowded medium lift marketplace.