Relativity Space’s innovative spacecraft, designed to carry light satellites into orbit, took off from the spaceport on the evening of March 22. The first stage of the rocket left after it ran out of fuel. However, the second-stage engine only ignited briefly, and the rocket did not have enough power to reach orbit. The further fate of the rocket is unknown. Details will be released after analysis of flight data, according to CNBC.

The company itself considers the launch a success. Although the rocket did not reach orbit, it proved that a 3D-printed spacecraft could withstand the rigors of flight.

The length of the rocket is 33.5 meters, and its diameter is 2.2 meters. At the same time, 85 percent of its mass was printed on the world’s largest metal 3D printers. Production took 60 days. This is the largest object ever printed on a 3D printer.

The rocket is powered by liquid oxygen and liquid natural gas. In the future, it will be able to launch up to 1,250 kilograms of cargo into low Earth orbit. Such rockets should be significantly cheaper than conventional ones due to low labor costs during production.

It was possible to launch the printed rocket on the third attempt. The first launch was scheduled for March 8, but was delayed at the last minute due to fuel temperature issues. The second attempt on March 11 was canceled due to fuel pressure problems.

Relativity’s goal is to create a 95 percent 3D-printed rocket. In the future, the creation of a larger Terran R rocket capable of launching a payload weighing 20,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit. The company has already signed contracts for commercial launches worth $1.65 billion.