Partial capture success for Rocket Lab

WASHINGTON: Small launch firm Rocket Lab USA Inc yesterday captured a falling rocket stage out of the air with a helicopter before dropping it into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of New Zealand, achieving a partially successful test of the company’s novel costsavings approach to recovering used rockets for repeated missions.

After lifting off to send 34 satellites to orbit at 10.50am, the fourstoreytall Electron booster stage fell back through the atmosphere and deployed parachutes at high altitude to slow its descent to 35kmh. A helicopter hanging a long, vertical cable latched on to the booster’s capture line.

Cheers from engineers turned to groans as the helicopter pilots were forced to release the rocket and dunk it into the Pacific Ocean after noticing ‘‘different load characteristics’’ than in previous tests. — Reuters

PHOTO: REUTERS Catch . . . A helicopter latches on to a dummy rocket stage during a recovery test off the coast of Mahia, in this file image from an earlier test run by Rocket Lab.