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

Meta Title: NASA Adds Relativity Space Terran R to NLS II Launch Services Contract
Meta Description: NASA has added Relativity Space’s Terran R rocket to its NLS II contract, making the heavy-lift vehicle eligible for future mission competitions.
URL Slug: nasa-relativity-space-terran-r-nls-ii-contract
Excerpt: NASA has added Relativity Space and its Terran R launch vehicle to the agency’s NASA Launch Services II contract. The move does not assign a specific mission, but it makes Terran R eligible to compete for future NASA launch opportunities.

# NASA Adds Relativity Space’s Terran R to Launch Services Contract

NASA has added Relativity Space Inc. and its Terran R launch service to the agency’s NASA Launch Services II, or NLS II, contract. The announcement means NASA programs may consider Terran R for future missions requiring commercial launch services.

The decision is significant because it brings another planned heavy-lift rocket into NASA’s pool of eligible launch options. However, it is important to distinguish contract eligibility from a confirmed launch award: NASA has not, based on the supplied announcement summary, assigned Terran R to carry a particular spacecraft or science mission.

The NASA announcement is dated September 9, 2026. It describes an award made through the NLS II contract’s “on-ramp” provision, which allows additional launch providers and vehicles to be added after the broader contract framework is established.

## What NASA’s NLS II Contract Does

NASA Launch Services II is a multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. That terminology can sound complicated, but the practical meaning is straightforward.

NASA establishes a list of qualified commercial launch providers under a common contracting structure. When a NASA mission needs a launch, the agency can then compete or select launch services among eligible providers, depending on the mission’s requirements and procurement rules.

An NLS II award is therefore not the same as buying a launch immediately.

Instead, it establishes that a provider’s service can be considered for future task orders. Those task orders are the individual contracts that would cover a specific mission, launch date, destination, payload environment, insurance considerations, integration work, and other technical requirements.

For NASA, the approach provides flexibility. Missions range from comparatively small Earth-observation satellites to large planetary spacecraft, astrophysics observatories, and spacecraft headed beyond Earth orbit. No single rocket is the ideal choice for every payload.

## What Terran R Is Expected to Offer

Terran R is Relativity Space’s planned reusable, medium-to-heavy-lift launch vehicle. It is intended to be a larger successor to the company’s earlier Terran 1 rocket program.

Relativity Space became widely known for pursuing extensive use of large-scale additive manufacturing, commonly called 3D printing, in rocket production. The company has since shifted its focus toward Terran R, a vehicle designed for higher payload capability and partial reusability.

The rocket is expected to target missions to low Earth orbit, as well as trajectories that could support more demanding destinations. A reusable first stage is a central part of the design concept, reflecting a broader industry trend toward recovering and reflighting major launch hardware.

That said, planned capabilities should not be treated as proven flight performance. A launch vehicle’s final payload capacity, operational cadence, reliability record, and range of certified missions are established over time through testing and launches.

NASA’s contract action makes Terran R eligible for consideration, but it does not by itself establish that the vehicle has completed a flight campaign, been certified for a particular NASA payload class, or received a mission-specific launch assignment.

## Why NASA Wants More Launch Options

NASA increasingly depends on commercial launch systems to deliver spacecraft, science instruments, cargo, technology demonstrations, and small satellites. Expanding the pool of available providers can help the agency match missions with suitable vehicles as schedules, orbit requirements, and payload masses vary.

Having more eligible rockets may also improve resilience. Launch schedules can be affected by weather, range availability, payload delays, production constraints, technical investigations, and competing commercial demand. A diverse launch marketplace gives mission planners more routes to orbit when one provider or vehicle is unavailable.

This is especially relevant as NASA operates a broad portfolio of missions. Earth science spacecraft may need precise orbital insertions. Planetary missions often require high-energy departures from Earth. Space telescopes can impose demanding vibration, contamination, and integration requirements. Small spacecraft may benefit from rideshare opportunities, while flagship missions may need a dedicated launch.

A future Terran R task order, if awarded, would likely depend on how well the vehicle’s demonstrated performance fits a mission’s specific needs.

## An On-Ramp Award Does Not Guarantee a NASA Flight

The key detail in NASA’s announcement is the NLS II “on-ramp” provision. Such provisions are designed to let contracts evolve as the launch industry changes.

New rockets do not always exist when a long-term government contract is first established. Likewise, an existing provider may introduce a new version of a launch vehicle, expand performance, or complete qualification milestones after the initial contracting period. An on-ramp process gives NASA a way to add those services without rebuilding the entire procurement framework.

For Relativity Space, inclusion in NLS II creates an opportunity to compete for NASA work. For NASA, it adds a potential future option without committing the agency to a particular launch purchase.

The distinction matters because launch announcements are often misunderstood. A company can be eligible to bid on missions without having a signed order to launch one. Conversely, NASA may award a specific task order only after evaluating factors such as mission risk, price, schedule confidence, payload interfaces, orbital performance, and the vehicle’s status at the time of procurement.

## The Competitive Landscape for Heavy-Lift Launch

Terran R would enter a commercial launch market that includes established and emerging providers. NASA already uses a range of launch vehicles, selected according to mission needs and availability.

The most capable vehicles are particularly relevant for larger spacecraft and missions requiring substantial energy to leave Earth orbit. But heavy-lift capability is only one part of the equation. NASA also needs reliable access to smaller and medium-class launch services, as well as launch opportunities tailored to constellations and small satellite missions.

Relativity’s potential role will depend on the rocket’s progress from development into operations. For a newer vehicle, early flights typically focus on validating the integrated system: propulsion, stage separation, guidance, ground operations, payload deployment, and—where applicable—recovery systems.

Once a vehicle begins flying regularly, its operational record becomes increasingly important to customers. NASA is known for matching launch risk to mission value, maturity, and technical requirements. Some missions can accept emerging capabilities; others require highly established launch systems.

## What Is Known, and What Is Not

NASA’s supplied summary confirms that Relativity Space’s Terran R launch service has been added to the NLS II contract through the on-ramp provision. That makes the service available for NASA launch-services planning and potential future mission awards.

What is not stated in the summary is equally important. It does not identify a specific NASA payload assigned to Terran R. It does not provide a launch date, contract task-order value, mission destination, or payload mass. It also does not indicate that NASA has selected Terran R for a particular science, exploration, or technology mission.

Those details would be expected in a later NASA launch assignment announcement, if and when a mission-specific task order is issued.

## A Milestone for Relativity, Not a Final Proof Point

For Relativity Space, joining NLS II is a meaningful business and programmatic milestone. Government eligibility can broaden a launch provider’s potential customer base and signals that the company has cleared a procurement step needed to compete for NASA missions.

For NASA, the decision preserves optionality in a fast-changing launch market. The agency can evaluate Terran R alongside other eligible services as future mission needs emerge.

The larger story will be determined by execution. Terran R’s test program, inaugural launch, operational reliability, payload performance, and reuse outcomes will ultimately show how competitive the rocket becomes in practice.

For now, NASA’s action should be viewed as an opening: Terran R is in the contract framework, but a NASA mission assignment would be a separate decision.

## Authority sources (external links)

– [NASA Launch Services Program](https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/kennedy/launch-services-program/)
– [NASA’s original Terran R NLS II announcement](https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-adds-relativity-spaces-terran-r-to-launch-services-contract/)
– [Relativity Space’s Terran R vehicle overview](https://www.relativityspace.com/terran-r)
– [NASA procurement and contracting information](https://www.nasa.gov/office/procurement/)
– [Federal Acquisition Regulation resources](https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far)

## Internal links (ProductVortex)

– [How reusable rockets are changing launch economics](https://productvortex.com/reusable-rockets-launch-economics/)
– [NASA’s commercial launch services explained](https://productvortex.com/nasa-commercial-launch-services-explained/)