Rocket Lab has successfully caught an electron rocket booster in mid-air off the coast of Banks Peninsula using a helicopter.
Following a 10.49am launch, a customised twin-engined Sikorsky S-92 helicopter took off from Christchurch and captured the Electron rocket's booster at 11.06am by hooking its parachute line as it fell at a speed of 10m/s or 36km/h.
Live footage from the helicopter captured the tense minutes before the dramatic mid-air snatch, which was followed by cheers from the technicians at Rocket Lab's Auckland Mission Control Centre as the booster stage first drifted into view then was successfully snagged.
The electron rocket was expected to head into orbit and separate into two stages - one stage continuing into space to deliver satellites while the other headed back to earth.
In the past, the re-entry has seen the main part of the rocket land in water. In this launch, RocketLab aimed to decelerate the stage as it entered the atmosphere before parachutes were deployed to slow it down to around 10m/s.
From there, the customised helicopter flew under the main parachute and caught the rocket with a hook.
The company has previously said if the mission went to plan the next step would be to try to reuse parts of the rockets each time they launch, which would be a big boost for production.
- Reuters / NZ Herald / RNZ
