This Tuesday, May 3, the Rocket Lab company placed 34 satellites in orbit thanks to its Electron launcher. But the feat of the evening is not this launch but rather the aftermath: when it was returning to Earth, the rocket was picked up in mid-flight by a helicopter. Explanations.
Rocket Lab wants to make its rockets reusable
Rocket Lab is a company specializing in small payload rockets. One of its main goals is to make its launchers reusable, similar to SpaceX’s Falcon 9. In addition to lowering the costs of launches, the reusability of rockets also makes it possible to carry out many more.
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” Bringing one back just saves a ton of time where you don’t have to build a whole new rocket from scratch. So obviously we’re going to make some good savings, but I think the most important thing for us right now is just getting the vehicles back into the production line. says Peter Beck, CEO of Rocket Lab, to The Verge.
If SpaceX reuses its Falcon 9 thanks to a barge in the Atlantic, on which the launcher comes to land before being brought back to the coast, the technique put in place by Rocket Lab is very different and includes the intervention of a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter, especially used in the military field.
There ? and back again ? pic.twitter.com/GEsOmpYKFh
—Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) May 2, 2022
The test of atmospheric re-entry
The company has been working on this project since 2019. This consists of catching Electron with a helicopter during its descent, after its atmospheric re-entry when its parachute has deployed to slow its fall, and then bring it to dry land. . Rocket Lab has already shown its ability to capture a fake rocket in midair with a helicopter, but during this test, the device did not return from space.
” I think a lot of people think the hardest part is catching the rocket, and that’s certainly the case. But actually, from an engineering perspective, the hardest part was making sure the rocket survived re-entry. “, explains Peter Beck. As a reminder, during its atmospheric re-entry, the rocket reaches speeds of over 3,000 kilometers per hour and must remain in one piece as hot plasma builds up around it.
This night’s launch, dubbed There and Back Again in reference to the nature of the flight and in homage to New Zealand where The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were filmed, was therefore of paramount importance for the company, and he almost succeeded.
This is what it looked like from the front seats. pic.twitter.com/AwZfuWjwQD
— Peter Beck (@Peter_J_Beck) May 3, 2022
A small flat for Rocket Lab
The satellites were indeed transported to low orbit without any hitch, and the helicopter managed to recover Electron… before releasing it into the ocean. “ They released it after the crash because they weren’t happy with the way it was flying, but that’s okay, the rocket crashed safely and the ship is charging it “, explains the CEO of Rocket Lab. The data observed by the pilot was indeed different from that obtained during previous tests. The launcher was quickly recovered and will be analyzed in detail by the firm’s teams who will be able, thanks to this test, to make adjustments to perfect their system.
” Bringing a rocket back from space and catching it with a helicopter is a kind of supersonic ballet. A very large number of factors must align and many systems must work perfectly together. I am therefore incredibly proud of the outstanding efforts of our recovery team and all of our engineers who made this mission and our first capture a success. Going forward, we will assess the scene and determine what changes we could make to the system and procedures for the helicopter’s next capture and possible re-flight. said Peter Beck.
Rocket Lab has a new launch scheduled for this month, but it’s unclear if it will include recovery of the rocket’s first stage by helicopter. As a reminder, the company was chosen by NASA to launch a CubeSat into lunar orbit as part of the Artemis program.