September 2026 Company Update
September brought key progress across the Terran R program in design, build, test, and launch readiness.
Build
Stage one integration continued advancing on multiple fronts. The team installed the downcomer into the stage one tank, a complex lift operation threading the component between the thrust structure and breakover tool. The downcomer delivers liquid oxygen from the tank to the engines, and its installation sets up the next major milestone: tank leak check. In parallel, remaining structures work and weld operations are underway, and all primary hardware on the aft dome is complete – closing in on final integration.
On the interstage, belt joints are complete and barrel and joiner drilling is finished. The article has been broken over and is being prepared for transport to the Tender Loving Crusher (TLC) for structural testing.
The avionics team completed initial stand-up of the first two ground stations, which will be deployed to maintain telemetry coverage throughout flight operations.
In propulsion, the team completed the first autogenous laser weld for the Aeon V nozzle extension. The nozzle skirt extension increases the engine's expansion ratio, helping the vacuum engine operate more efficiently in the low-pressure environment of space. Engine production continues to ramp month over month, with flight two and flight three engines well into manufacturing, reflecting the program's growing operational efficiency and ability to scale parallel production across multiple vehicles.
Test
With all 13 engines now installed on the thrust structure, the team transitioned into integrated testing. Gimbal testing is now underway, validating clearances so each engine can pivot precisely to steer and stabilize the vehicle during flight.
At NASA Stennis, the A2 stage test stand is coming to life. The team completed diverter flushes and activations, hold-down wiring checkouts, and pit infrastructure closeouts. The flare stack and first phase of the lightning protection system were activated following stacking of the vertical sections. After undergoing modifications for hot fire, stage two rolled out of the hangar and onto the test stand, where the Aeon V engine was installed. The team then completed a test readiness review (TRR), a formal gate verifying that hardware configuration, instrumentation, safety systems, and test procedures are all validated and cleared before proceeding. The team then conducted the wet dress rehearsal (WDR), a campaign that spans a ground-controlled tanking test using flight-like propellant loads, ambient and cryogenic fills of the composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs), engine chill operations, and a simulated stage one ascent timeline – building confidence in the team's ability to test and fly the vehicle ahead of the first hot fire test.
A2 stage test stand is coming to life. The team completed diverter flushes and activations, hold-down wiring checkouts and put infrastructure closeouts. The flare stack and first phase of the lightning protection system.
On the R stand, engine testing continues to optimize performance for future flights, alongside separate component testing focused on further block upgrades. Construction is also underway for a new cell to test COPVs, further expanding test infrastructure at Stennis.
Launch
At Cape Canaveral, progress is rising fast. The east lightning protection system (LPS) tower was raised to its full height of 530 feet (161.5 meters), and structural steel on the east side of the launch table is now complete, establishing the foundation for critical ground support equipment (GSE) used for stage one propellant load while absorbing thrust loads during ascent. Teams also energized the pad's permanent 480-volt power infrastructure, delivering the high-capacity electrical backbone that will drive ground support equipment, avionics, and fluid systems during launch operations.
Outro
From the factory floor in Long Beach to the test stands at NASA Stennis and the launch site at Cape Canaveral, September reflected the full breadth of what the Terran R team is executing in parallel, driving toward both first flight and scaled operations.