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Rocket Lab USA, Inc., a leading launch and space systems company, has confirmed that it will attempt to use a helicopter to capture an electron rocket when it returns to Earth from space on the company’s next launch.
Rocket Lab’s 32nd Electron launch, the Catch Me If You Can mission, is scheduled to launch from Pad B at Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 during a launch window on Nov 4 UTC. Electron will transport a scientific research satellite from space systems provider OHB Sweden for the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA). The Mesospheric Airglow/Aerosol Tomography and Spectroscopy (MATS) satellite is the basis for SNSA’s science mission to study atmospheric waves and better understand how the upper layer of Earth’s atmosphere interacts with wind and weather patterns near the ground. MATS was originally scheduled to fly on a Russian launch service before the mission was manifested on Rocket Labs Electron.
In Catch Me If You Can, Rocket Lab will attempt to capture the rocket’s mid-air first stage with a helicopter as it returns from space. Using a modified Sikorsky S-92 helicopter to capture the missile and secure it to its parachute line, Rocket Lab will bring the captured stage back to its Auckland manufacturing complex, where engineers and technicians will process and evaluate it for possible reuse becomes.
This electron recovery effort follows the capture of an electron first stage during Rocket Lab’s first helicopter recovery attempt at the launch of There And Back Again in May, and the recovery attempt for this mission follows the same operational concept as the previous launch.
Peter Beck, CEO and Founder of Rocket Lab, says, “Our first helicopter catch just a few months ago proved that we can achieve what we set out to do with Electron and we’re excited to get the helicopter back there and.” Pushing our rocket further improves reusability by bringing back a dry stage for the first time.”
Catch Me If You Can Launch Details:
- Launch window opens: 4 Nov UTC
- Launcher: Electron
- Customer: Swedish National Space Agency via OHB Sweden
- Launch Site: Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Pad B
- Orbit: 585 km circular Earth orbit
- Payload: MATS
Recovery Mission Profile:
- Close to launch, the custom-built Sikorsky S-92 recovery helicopter will be deployed in the acquisition zone at sea, some 160 nautical miles off New Zealand’s Banks Peninsula.
- After launch, Electron’s first and second stages will separate at approximately T+2:32 minutes into the mission. The MATS payload will continue to orbit aboard the rocket’s second stage while Electron’s first stage returns to Earth. At this point in the mission, Electron’s return is expected to reach speeds of up to 8,300 km (5,150 miles) per hour and temperatures of up to 2,400 degrees C (4,352 F).
- Approximately at T+7:20 minutes after launch, Electron’s first parachute deploys, followed shortly thereafter by the rocket’s main parachute. The dual deployment of parachutes will help slow the returning first stage to 0.4% of its top speed during descent: from 8,300 km/h to just 36 km/h.
- When Electron enters the capture zone, Rocket Lab’s recovery helicopter matches the rocket’s speed and descent from above, attempting to attach the parachute’s trailing suspension line to the helicopter via a hook at the end of a long line.
- Once Electron is captured and secured, it will be transported back to Rocket Lab’s Auckland Production Complex. There, technicians receive and prepare the stage for inspection to assess its suitability for reuse.
This press release was prepared and distributed by Rocket Lab USA, Inc.
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