February 2026 Company Update
February marked another month of critical progress across design, build, test, and launch.
Design
This month, the team released an additional 1,826 flight components. The stage two shipping assembly and stage two fluids top-level assembly are now fully released, enabling final integration activities as the second stage tank approaches completion. The team completed high-fidelity, scale-resolving computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of the grid fins, accurately predicting unsteady aerodynamic loads.
Build
Second stage harnesses and composite raceway covers have been built, and fluids integration continues to advance. Installation of the common dome baffle is underway, and the team successfully ran a composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV) leak test. Integration roll rings have been installed to support upcoming handling and detailed vehicle integration operations, and the second stage headband is complete and is ready for vehicle integration.
Integration progress continues on the first stage tank, as well. Weld buy-offs and paint touch-ups were completed, instrumentation brackets were installed, and exit holes and pass-throughs were machined. On the dedicated stage one qualification article, all barrels have been manufactured and are now being assembled on the circumferential friction stir welder.
On the thrust structure, installation of the outer and inner rings is underway, and the first two outer engine feedlines have been welded. Flight software for the thrust structure has been released, and avionics boxes are being delivered in preparation for low-voltage checkouts.
On the interstage, the forward barrel completed additional mechanical assembly, including installation of tooling hole plugs and the access door. In parallel, the team drilled lift point holes and installed brackets for COPVs on the aft barrel.
Work is also advancing on Terran R’s second flight. Thrust structure assembly is progressing and manufacturing of first stage panels and barrels is underway, reinforcing our commitment to building at scale.
Propulsion manufacturing continues at pace, with additional first stage Aeon R flight engines and a second stage Aeon V engine manufactured, assembled, and shipped. Process improvements, expanded machine shop capacity, and new in-house capabilities are increasing output and supporting our planned production ramp. In parallel, mechanisms work is advancing, with thrust vector control actuators and pre-valves in production.
In avionics, integration of the stage two hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) build progressed this month, paving the way for vehicle HITL testing.
Test
Increased engine production is matched by faster activation timelines and enhanced operational rigor for propulsion testing at NASA Stennis Space Center, ensuring engines move efficiently from build to test. Acceptance testing of first stage Aeon R engines continues in parallel with development testing of the second stage Aeon V engine.
Infrastructure development on-site is also advancing. On the A2 stage test stand, the live ring, the structural interface that supports the stage while allowing controlled movement during test operations, was lifted into the stand and construction of the flume progressed ahead of diverter installation. Framing for the nearby hangar has been completed, laying the groundwork for the next phase of construction.
Launch
At Cape Canaveral, LC-16 continues to take shape. Insulation and siding work are progressing on the horizontal integration facility (HIF), and lightning protection system piles have been installed 98 feet (29.87 meters) underground, providing a secure path to safely dissipate lightning strikes away from the pad and vehicle. The 1.1-million-pound (498,951 kilogram) launch mount and the transporter-erector upper strongback have arrived on-site, with installation and outfitting work to follow. The engineering support building has advanced rapidly as well, with steel framing complete and the outer shell now in place.
As hardware comes together and teams advance work across production, test, and launch infrastructure, we’re not only preparing for Terran R’s first launch. We’re establishing the systems and cadence required to fly at scale.