Rocket Lab Just Caught Electron’s Booster For The First Time During A Mission
Throughout the space industry, we are seeing different companies try new and ambitious ideas. These usually have added risks, but if successful, provide the company with different benefits such as saving money, time, etc. Rocket Lab is no exception with the recent attempt to catch Electron’s booster out of mid-air using a helicopter.
Specifically, yesterday Rocket Lab launched Electron apart of the There And Back Again mission. The exciting aspect of this launch was the first-ever attempt to catch Electron’s booster using a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter and returning it to the surface safely. While not easy at all, Rocket Lab showed off the company’s impressive recovery method with a mostly successful catch and return of the booster.
Over the past few years, we have watched Rocket Lab work to recover the booster of Electron. This came in the form of multiple water recoveries along with booster catch tests separate from missions. Yesterday was special however and Rocket Lab made history, almost making Electron the first reusable orbital small sat launcher. Here I will go more in-depth into the launch, mostly successful catch, and the future of Rocket Lab.
Catching Electron’s Booster
After the long-awaited launch date, we were finally able to watch Rocket Lab attempt the first booster catch during a mission. Rocket Lab first tweeted saying, “Today’s primary mission is to deploy 34 satellites for our customers. The cherry on top will be catching Electron with a helicopter for the 1st time. A successful catch is far from a forgone conclusion, but everything we learn today inform future recovery missions.” Soon after they provided another update mentioning, “The recovery helicopter is in the air and en route to the capture zone to await launch…and Electron’s return.” Finally, only a few hours later they tweeted, “We have lift-off! Just over a minute into launch Electron cleared Max-Q and continued on. Not long after there was a successful fairing deployment and battery jettison. Then, just past 8 minutes into launch, Rocket Lab confirmed that the main chutes had been deployed on the first stage. From here Rocket Lab switched to a camera onboard the helicopter as it moved into position to attempt the catch. At around 15 minutes into launch, the booster finally came into frame and we were able to watch the helicopter make contact and snag the booster. This was followed by a massive cheer from the crowd. However, very soon after the cheers, you could hear a collective groan from the audience. It turns out that Rocket Lab had made the catch, but ended up dropping the stage as it was not flying exactly as intended. Specifically, Peter Beck tweeted saying, “Incredible catch by the recovery team, can’t begin to explain how hard that catch was and that the pilots got it. They did release it after hook up as they were not happy with the way it was flying, but no big deal, the rocket splashed down safely and the ship is loading it now.” After splashdown, it was loaded onto the recovery ship and headed back for land. Peter Beck also tweeted a picture of the booster on the recovery ship with the caption, “Homeward bound, safe and sound.” While this mission did not go 100% to plan, it still showcased Rocket Lab’s impressive recovery method and provided a lot of invaluable information for the company.
The main goal of the There And Back Again mission included Electron deploying 34 satellites to a sun synchronous orbit for a variety of customers including Alba Orbital, Astrix Astronautics, Aurora Propulsion Technologies, E-Space, Spaceflight Inc., and Unseenlabs. Bringing the total number of satellites launched by Electron to 146. “There And Back Again” is also a recovery mission where, for the first time, Rocket Lab attempted a midair capture of Electron’s first stage as it returns from space using parachutes and a helicopter. Like previous recovery missions, Electron’s first stage went through a series of complex maneuvres designed to enable it to survive the extreme heat and forces of atmospheric re-entry. Electron was equipped with a heat shield to help protect the stage’s nine Rutherford engines and a parachute to slow Electron down in order for Rocket Lab’s customized Sikorsky S-92 helicopter to catch the stage as it returns. The goal after catching the stage was to use the helicopter to offload the stage onto a recovery vessel which would then transport it back to Rocket Lab’s Production Complex for analysis. This mission was successful at making Electron one step closer to being the first reusable orbital small sat launcher. Peter Beck also provided a few more tweets worth mentioning. The first mentioned, “This is what it looked like from the front seats.” This tweet included a short video inside the helicopter as it got closer to the falling booster. The last tweet mentioned, “Heat shield did its job nicely.” With a close up of the bottom of the booster and the 9 Rutherford engines.
Recovery Method & Future
We can also take a closer look at the recovery process and what Rocket Lab’s goal and challenges are with this catch. The overall recovery program aims to make Electron the first reusable small launch vehicle to enable even more frequent launch opportunities for the small sat community. With this mission, for the first time, they took the next major step by attempting to capture Electron’s first stage mid-air as it returns to Earth. The helicopter responsible was a customized Sikorsky S-92, a large twin engine helicopter typically used in offshore oil and gas transport and search and rescue operations. Rocket Lab points out that catching a returning rocket stage mid-air as it returns from space is a highly complex operation that demands extreme precision. Several critical milestones must align perfectly to ensure a successful capture. However, this being said, the company did a great job on this first attempt. The mission profile along with some footage provided by Rocket Lab helps put in perspective how hard this catch really is. It starts approximately an hour prior to lift-off, Rocket Lab’s helicopter moves into position in the capture zone, approximately 150 nautical miles off New Zealand’s coast, to await launch. Next, at about two and a half minutes after lift-off, Electron’s first and second stages will separate per a standard mission profile. Electron’s second stage will continue on to orbit for payload deployment and Electron’s first stage will begin its descent back to Earth reaching speeds of almost 8,300 km (5,150 miles) per hour. The stage will reach temperatures of around 2,400 degrees C (4,352 F) during its descent. After deploying a drogue parachute at 13 km (8.3 miles) altitude (about seven and a half minutes after lift-off), the main parachute will be extracted at around 6 km (3.7 miles) altitude to dramatically slow the stage to 10 meters per second, or 36 km (22.3 miles) per hour (about eight minutes and 12 seconds after lift-off). Then, as the stage enters the capture zone, Rocket Lab’s helicopter will attempt to rendezvous with the returning stage and capture the parachute line via a hook. Finally, once the stage is captured and secured, the helicopter will attempt to offload the stage onto Rocket Lab’s recovery vessel for transport back to land. Rocket Lab will conduct a thorough analysis of the stage and assess its suitability for reflight. This is the mission profile for catching Electron’s booster out of mid-air. It helps fill in some of the blanks regarding the mission itself and the live footage shown.
In terms of the payloads, they were all successfully delivered. Rocket Lab tweeted saying, “Payloads deployed! MISSION SUCCESS for our 26th Electron launch. Congratulations to our mission partners. It is an honor to help you get to space.” Overall, looking at this mission, it was most definitely a success. With the exception of the booster being dropped by choice after a catch, the mission went 100% to plan. In terms of the catch attempt, the hardest part by far is finding and catching the booster as it floats to the ground. This being the case, the helicopter pilots and Rocket Lab still managed to catch the booster out of mid air for the first time ever during a mission. This marks an immense milestone and will no doubt have an effect on Rocket Lab’s future plans and Electron operations.
Conclusion
Different companies throughout the space industry are trying new and ambitious ideas. This includes unique manufacturing, testing, launch operations, and more. Rocket Lab is no exception with the recent first ever catch attempt of Electron’s booster during a mission. We have watched Rocket Lab over the past few years practice the recovery process. This included multiple water landings and catch tests. However, yesterday was special and saw an almost perfect mission. Soon after catching the booster, it was dropped down in the water because they were not happy with how it was flying. Either way, it was soon put on the recovery ship in good shape and left for Rocket Lab’s facilities. This marks a massive milestone and provided a lot of invaluable information for the company. We will have to wait and see how it progresses and the impact it has on the space industry.