3D printed rocket blasts off but fails to reach orbit

A rocket made almost entirely of 3D-printed parts made its launch debut Wednesday night. The startup wanted to put the souvenir into a 125-mile-high orbit for several days before having it plunge through the atmosphere and burn up along with the upper stage of the rocket.

As it turned out, the first stage did its job following liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and separated as planned.But the upper stage appeared to ignite and then shut down, sending it crashing into the Atlantic.Relativity Space said 3D-printed metal parts made up 85% of the rocket, named Terran.

Larger versions of the rocket would have even more and also be reusable for multiple flights.Founded in 2015 by a pair of young aerospace engineers, Relativity Space has attracted the attention of investors and venture capitalists.