Rocket Lab has taken a big step towards creating a reusable rocket Electron Orbital Launch Vehicle (ORV). The company managed to capture the first stage of Electron in the atmosphere by helicopter for the first time after returning to Earth afterwards. diffusion 34 satellites are in orbit. To ensure the first stage would survive its re-entry into the atmosphere, Rocket Lab aimed it at the perfect angle that would give it the best chance of withstanding the tremendous heat and pressure. The rolling canopy is then deployed to increase drag before the main parachute opens at the end of its descent.
The company sent a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter to rendezvous with a return stage 6,500 feet in the air, using a hook on a cable to pick up the path of the booster parachute. While the capture was a success, Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck He said on Twitter That the pilot was not happy with the way the booster hung under the helicopter and chose to drop it at sea. It was eventually retrieved and loaded onto a ship for transport to Rocket Lab headquarters for reassessment of the journey.
Rocket Lab said the tests gave helicopter pilots “different payload characteristics from those previously tested in tests” and would provide important information for future helicopter pickups. The goal is to be able to grab the booster in the air and return it directly to the land instead of having to drop it into the sea, because salt water can damage the booster. If the company manages to demonstrate that it can reuse its boosters as SpaceX can, it could increase launch frequency and reduce the cost of small satellite missions.
Peter Beck, CEO of Rocket Lab said:
“Returning a rocket from space and picking it up by helicopter is a kind of supersonic ballet. Many factors had to be aligned and many systems had to work together flawlessly, so I am very proud of the incredible efforts of our recovery team. and all our engineers make it happen. They did the job and it worked the first time. From here we will evaluate the phase and determine what changes we may wish to make to the systems and procedures for the pickup and subsequent retrieval of the helicopter to finally return to flight.”
The company is slated to launch again in May, but it’s unclear whether it will try to recover another helicopter.
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