Rocket
bbc Lab has taken a huge step towards making its Electron orbital launch vehicle a reusable rocket. The company has successfully captured Electron’s first stage mid-air with a helicopter for the first time upon its return to Earth after deploying 34 satellites to orbit. To ensure that the first stage will survive its re-entry into the atmosphere, Rocket Lab re-oriented
it into the ideal angle that would give it the best chances to withstand tremendous heat and pressure. A drogue parachute then deployed to increase drag before the main parachute opened up in the final part of its descent.The company sent a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter to rendezvous with the returning stage at 6,500 feet in the air,
using a hook on a cable to capture the booster's parachute line. While the catch was a success, Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck said on Twitter that the pilots weren't happy with the way the booster was hanging below the helicopter and opted to drop it into the ocean. It was eventually retrieved and loaded onto a vessel for transport back to Rocket Lab's HQ for re-flight assessment.
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