Relativity Space expansion, plans to hire thousands could remake North Brevard

Relativity Space — a relatively new industry player on Florida’s Space Coast run by the former CEO of Google — has announced ambitious plans to construct a manufacturing facility for its hulking 284-foot Terran R rocket and hire thousands of workers by the end of 2034.

Few geographic details have been publicly released since last month’s high-profile announcement that the company has committed to expand its operations on the Space Coast. But a North Brevard Relativity Space expansion with high-paying jobs would provide an economic boost for the Titusville area, which historically was hit hard after NASA retired the Apollo and space shuttle programs, said Don Platt, director of the Florida Institute of Technology’s Spaceport Education Center.

“I think that this is enabling the northern part of the county to be more competitive,” said Platt, whose center is based at Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville.

“I think, for years, Melbourne was really kind of enjoying a huge growth and renaissance,” Platt said, citing expanding aerospace giants such as Northrop Grumman. “And now, you can’t even drive on Wickham Road because of the traffic jams with all the construction and new buildings and new stores and new restaurants and new townhomes and everything else.

“(There will) probably be more of that up in the northern part of the county now, too,” Platt said.

On July 20, during the Farnborough International Airshow in England, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Relativity Space’s expansion bid, reinforcing the state’s position as “a leader in the international space race by creating pathways for innovation, investment, and opportunity.”

Now, Relativity Space officials continue to evaluate a final expansion location in Brevard County, the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast reported last week. In a FLORIDA TODAY phone interview after the announcement, Titusville Mayor Andrew Connors said “Relativity is eyeing a couple of different locations here in North Brevard. I really hope it is in Titusville.” 

Platt said Relativity Space’s Terran R production-facility plan shows the company is “becoming a serious player” in America’s space industry, as well as demonstrating the import of building large-scale rocket plants near the launch point. Nearby examples include North Brevard’s huge Blue Origin campus on northern Merritt Island and SpaceX’s towering Gigabay under construction at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for future Starship operations.

Messages seeking comment for this story were not returned by Relativity Space media personnel. Platt said it seems the company “went into quiet mode” the past few years.

“Relativity’s kind of an interesting player, sort of under the radar a little bit. They did do one launch from here — which was several years ago now — of a mostly 3D-printed rocket. Never did another one after that. I think that they realized that 3D-printing an entire rocket is a technology that isn’t necessarily quite mature yet,” Platt said.

In March 2023, Relativity Space launched Terran 1, the world’s first 3D-printed rocket, from Launch Complex 16 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. But mere weeks later, company officials retired the methane-fueled, 110-foot rocket in favor of a far larger, reusable two-stage alternative: Terran R.

Now, with word spreading among the space industry that SpaceX may retire its Falcon 9 rockets in the coming years, Platt said, “I think this is a perfect time for Relativity to get into that realm.”

“I think it’s important, if that really does happen, that companies like Relativity pick up the pace and step up to the plate to offer launch capability. Because there’s still going to be a lot of non-SpaceX customers that are looking for ways to get to orbit,” Platt said.

Here’s what we know: Space Florida has revealed Relativity Space’s future expansion was initiated under the code name Project Forge. On June 2, the Space Florida board of directors approved up to $350 million in conduit financing for the then-unnamed company’s research, development and launch operations during a meeting at Orlando International Airport.

Later, a June 18 Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority memo provided more information: “Discussions with Project Forge continue.”

“The aerospace company is still working through due diligence on the Authority-owned parcel located adjacent to State Road 407 at Space Coast Regional Airport. Forge is reviewing zoning, wetlands, access points, and initial conceptual site layouts for the property,” the memo said.

In a July 21 press release, Connors said Relativity Space’s expansion creates “a generational opportunity for Titusville” and for “every child growing up in our community who dreams of building rockets, designing spacecraft, writing software, welding flight hardware, or becoming an engineer.”

“There are few communities anywhere in the world where a child can look into the sky, watch a rocket launch, and one day grow up to help build the spacecraft that carry humanity farther into the solar system,” Connors said.

“That’s the future we’re creating in Titusville. Relativity Space’s expansion is another step toward ensuring our children inherit not only a stronger local economy, but a front-row seat to humanity’s greatest adventures,” he said.

About Relativity Space and Terran rockets

Relativity Space has been led since March 2025 by Executive Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt, who was previously Google’s chairman and CEO. The private company has 2,000 employees in California, Florida, Mississippi, Seattle and Washington, D.C. — and more than $3 billion in presold launch contracts from more than a dozen commercial and governmental customers, including SES, Impulse Space and Eutelsat, per the company website.

Unlike Terran 1, which was 85% 3D-printed by mass, the two-stage Terran R rocket is produced from aluminum alloys using traditional manufacturing at Relativity Space’s factory and headquarters in Long Beach, California.

The Terran R first-stage booster is engineered to return to Earth for landing, refurbishment and reuse, similar to SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket. Company officials have said the maiden launch is targeted for late 2026, though a later date seems more likely.

For comparison’s sake, the 284-foot Terran R stands taller than the 230-foot Falcon 9. Blue Origin’s bigger New Glenn rocket measures 322 feet high.

Relativity Space secured U.S. Air Force approval in 2019 to develop the long-deactivated Launch Complex 16 for the Terran 1. On Aug. 14, Relativity Space shared a short list of construction highlights amid preparations for Terran R rockets:

Launch Complex 16 previously hosted Titan I and Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile launches from 1959-63, followed by 88 Pershing 1A launches from 1974-83 and 49 Pershing II launches from 1982-88, the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum reported.

In Long Beach, technicians recently completed structural analysis on a test-article first-stage booster. The first stage’s 13 Aeon R engines have completed testing, and the upper stage underwent testing at NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

In a July milestone, the Space Force added Relativity Space and Impulse Space to its list of launch providers “in an effort to strengthen and diversify our nation’s access to space.” Both companies join SpaceX, Blue Origin, ULA, Rocket Lab and Stoke Space.

“These new awardees, together with the other providers already (under) contract, are building the next generation of launch vehicles. This is critical at a time when our launch cadence is rapidly increasing and our customers are relying on us to deliver everything they need to provide for the security of our nation and allies,” Col. Eric Zarybnisky said in a press release.

What’s more, NASA and Relativity Space have entered a partnership to launch the Aeolus atmospheric‑science instrument payload suite to Mars in 2028. NASA will operate the science instruments for at least one Martian year, and Relativity Space will maintain the spacecraft.

Expansion shows Brevard’s ‘unparalleled aerospace ecosystem’

Behind the scenes, a Relativity national site-selection process has spanned the past two years, EDC officials reported last week in an impact report. That process was led by VisionFirst Advisors President and CEO Gray Swoope, who previously served as Florida’s secretary of commerce and president and CEO of Enterprise Florida.

Swoope declined comment for this story, saying he cannot provide details on any project until final approvals are secured.

In a July 14 move to pave the way for future development, the Titusville City Council transmitted comprehensive-plan amendments for state review of 354 undeveloped airport-owned acres extending from State Road 407 eastward to Grissom Parkway. This plan calls for 206 acres of future industrial area and a 148-acre conservation easement.

“We’re looking for opportunities to attract aerospace and aviation future businesses to the area. This is a prime location for it. It’s on the very, very south end of the city of Titusville. It’s right up against the airport, and it’s right up against 95,” Kinan Husainy, a civil engineer with Kimley-Horn Associates in Viera, told the City Council.

“When you look at the comprehensive plan, and the policies in the comprehensive plan about attracting aerospace and aviation technologies, this is the perfect site for that,” Husainy said.

In summary, Relativity Space’s expansion announcement “reinforces the strength of our community’s unparalleled aerospace ecosystem,” EDC President and CEO Lynda Weatherman said in a press release.

“The EDC worked closely with the company’s leadership, while ensuring our competitive proposal demonstrated the strength of our world-class workforce, supply chain, and culture of innovation. This investment is another testament to how companies from around the world are choosing Florida’s Space Coast,” Weatherman said.

For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space. Another easy way: Click here to sign up for our weekly 321 Launch space newsletter.             

Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY, where he has covered news since 2004. Contact Neale at Rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1

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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Relativity Space expansion, plans to hire thousands could remake North Brevard

Reporting by Rick Neale, Florida Today / Florida Today

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By Rick Neale, Florida Today | USA TODAY Network