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Rocket Lab Grabs Falling Booster Mid-Air With a Sikorsky S-92 Helicopter

Rocket Lab has been preparing for the past few months for an incredible feat – and yesterday (May 2nd), it succeeded. The company completed its 26th Electron mission, performing a mid-air capture of its rocket booster with a helicopter for the first time.
Rocket Lab successfully catches returning stage with helicopter 8 photos
Photo: Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab successfully catches returning stage with helicopterRocket Lab successfully catches returning stage with helicopterRocket Lab successfully catches returning stage with helicopterRocket Lab successfully catches returning stage with helicopterRocket Lab successfully catches returning stage with helicopterRocket Lab successfully catches returning stage with helicopterRocket Lab successfully catches returning stage with helicopter
The mission, called "There And Back Again," was unlike any other conducted by Rocket Lab. The company's Electron rocket took off from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula, carrying 34 satellites with it.

After successfully putting the payloads to orbit, Electron's first stage returned to Earth. Before releasing the main parachute, a drogue parachute was deployed to create drag and stabilize the rocket as it plummeted towards the Pacific.

Rocket Lab had already completed three successful ocean recovery missions in which the Electron returned to Earth and splashed into the water, so everything was meticulously prepared. The information gathered on these missions was used to optimize the rocket's design, making it more resistant.

During the "There And Back Again" mission, a reaction control system re-oriented the first stage, allowing it to withstand the harsh re-entry environment. Then, at an altitude of 6,500 ft (1,981 meters), Rocket Lab's customized Sikorsky S-92 helicopter, which was waiting in the capture zone (around 173 miles/ 278 km off the coast of New Zealand), snatched the booster mid-air.

This successful mission represents a significant step forward in the company's efforts to make a reusable Electron rocket. Following its splashdown, Rocket Lab transported the booster using a recovery ship to its production complex for inspection and analysis.

"A tremendous number of factors have to align and many systems have to work together flawlessly, so I am incredibly proud of the stellar efforts of our Recovery Team and all of our engineers who made this mission and our first catch a success. From here we'll assess the stage and determine what changes we might want to make to the system and procedures for the next helicopter catch and eventual re-flight," said Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck.

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About the author: Florina Spînu
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Florina taught herself how to drive in a Daewoo Tico (a rebadged Suzuki Alto kei car) but her first "real car" was a VW Golf. When she’s not writing about cars, drones or aircraft, Florina likes to read anything related to space exploration and take pictures in the middle of nature.
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