Rocket Lab Electron Booster Splashdown

Rocket Lab Achieves Third Successful Booster Recovery

Rocket Lab’s program for reusable rockets progressed further on Wednesday evening with the successful retrieval of the booster from its Electron launch vehicle. This marks the third time the company has recovered a booster.

Mission Details and Timeline

The mission, named “Love at First Insight,” experienced some postponements due to unfavorable weather conditions. However, the launch proceeded as planned, lifting off at 8:39 p.m. EST from Rocket Lab’s launch complex located on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand.

Stage separation was confirmed around 8:41 p.m. EST. Subsequently, the first stage executed a controlled splashdown at approximately 9:24 p.m. EST, as reported by Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck via Twitter.

A Milestone in Reusability

Rocket Lab has now successfully recovered a first-stage booster on two prior occasions, positioning it as one of only two companies – alongside SpaceX – to demonstrate rocket reusability.

The initial successful recovery occurred in November 2020, followed by another in May 2021. It’s worth noting that the May 2021 mission unfortunately resulted in the loss of the payload.

Advancing Towards Mid-Air Capture

Similar to previous recovery efforts, this booster was recovered via parachute deployment and splashdown. However, this mission incorporated a new element: a helicopter was stationed near the splashdown zone.

The helicopter’s role was observational, tracking the booster’s descent. This signifies Rocket Lab’s progress towards its long-term reusability goal – utilizing parachutes to reduce booster velocity and then capturing it in mid-air with a helicopter.

Payload and Constellation Growth

The Electron rocket deployed two BlackSky Earth geospatial imaging satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO). This launch was part of a five-launch agreement between Rocket Lab and Spaceflight Inc., acting on behalf of BlackSky.

Originally slated for LEO deployment in August, the launch schedule was impacted by a localized resurgence of COVID-19 in New Zealand and the resulting lockdown protocols.

These newly launched satellites will augment BlackSky’s existing constellation of seven satellites. The company intends to expand its constellation to a total of 14 satellites by the end of the current year.

Earlier in the year, BlackSky experienced a setback with the loss of two satellites due to an anomaly following the ignition of the Electron’s second stage.