It was a huge moment for Rocket Lab and its quest to make its Electron launch vehicle partially reusable.
launcher, which lifted off from the company's New Zealand site at 6:49 p.m. EDT . Impressive enough, but it was the action in the downward direction that was unprecedented.under parachutes. About 15 minutes after liftoff, as the booster glided toward the Pacific Ocean, a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter sidled up close to it and snagged the parachute line with a hook.
"Absolutely incredible stuff there!" Rocket Lab Senior Communications Advisor Murielle Baker said during today's launch webcast."We have successfully caught that Electron booster underneath the parachute!"A Rocket Lab Electron vehicle launches on the"There And Back Again" mission on May 2, 2022. The rocket carried 34 satellites toward low Earth orbit.
This dramatic action is all part of Rocket Lab's effort to make Electron first stages reusable, an achievement that would reduce costs and increase launch frequency, company representatives have said.