Rocket Lab to attempt booster retrieval after NASA launch in New Zealand
Rocket Lab will recover the boosters after a soft landing in the Pacific Ocean instead of using an aerial recovery method. Liftoff is scheduled for Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. NZST
Rocket Lab launches NASA spacecraft to the moon
Rocket Lab launched a NASA spacecraft to the moon on June 28. Elwood Agasid with NASA’s Ames Research Center joined FOX Weather Sunrise to talk more about the launch.
MAHIA PENINSULA, New Zealand – Private launch company Rocket Lab says it's going to try again to recover the Electron rocket booster after a launch with NASA payloads onboard.
Electron is scheduled to launch the mission it's calling "Baby Come Back" on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. NZST (7:30 p.m. ET on Monday). The ride-sharing mission includes four CubeSats for NASA in a technology demonstration and two commercial payloads.
Rocket Lab has been attempting to recover its Electron first stage boosters post-launch. This will be the second recovery mission of the year.
NASA CELEBRATES JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE'S 1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH COLORFUL STELLAR NURSERY IMAGE
The company is now recovering the boosters after a soft landing in the Pacific Ocean instead of using an aerial recovery method.
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket in the Pacific Ocean after landing and the marine recovery vessel. (Image credit: Rocket Lab)
(Rocket Lab)
Previously, Rocket Lab attempted to pluck the rocket booster from the sky with a helicopter during a November 2022 attempt called "Catch Me if You Can" and in May 2022 during a test called "There and Back Again."
"Rocket Lab’s transition to marine recovery away from mid-air capture has been informed by previous recovery missions that showed Electron components and engines passed requalification testing following ocean splashdowns, so this next mission represents near final maturation of the marine recovery system in preparation for reflight of a booster," the company said in a statement.
The parachute with a Rocket Lab booster was caught by a helicopter after this photo. It was the first time the company fully tested its recovery method after launching on May 2, 2022 from New Zealand. (Image: Rocket Lab)
On this mission, Electron will launch seven small satellites: NASA's Starling CubeSats, a Telesat demonstration satellite for Space Flight Laboratory and three tiny satellites for Spire Global.
EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY SHOWS OFF FLASHY LIGHTNING IMAGER CAPABILITIES
After launch, the first stage will return to Earth with the help of a parachute before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.
A recovery vessel will be waiting to scoop up the booster and take it back to New Zealand. Rocket Lab said it's trying new upgrades on this recovery attempt, including waterproofing systems to protect engines and avionics. The plan is to re-fly these recovered boosters, driving down launch costs.
ROCKET LAB LAUNCHES NOAA PAYLOAD TO CONTINUE GLOBAL WILDLIFE, CLIMATE-TRACKING MISSION
The launch will mark the company's 7th liftoff this year and 39th overall.
Rocket Lab's headquarters are in Long Beach, California, and the company has two launch complexes, one in New Zealand and another in the U.S.
In January, Rocket Lab completed its first launch from a new launchpad in NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.