This is the second unsuccessful attempt by Rocket Lab to reuse the rocket – in the last mission, the helicopter was able to pick up the first stage , but the pilot decided to drop it into the ocean due to technical problems.
Launched on Friday, November 4 at 13:27 New York time (approximately 19:30 Kyiv time) from the Rocket Lab site in New Zealand, the Catch Me If You Can mission (“Catch me if you can”) successfully deployed a scientific research satellite of the Swedish National Space Agency.
The launch vehicle was supposed to be picked up by a company helicopter, preventing it from falling into the Pacific Ocean. However, due to the “loss of telemetry” the accelerator landed in the water – it must be taken from there by a special evacuation vessel.
“We did not restore a reliable connection in time. Without it, it is simply not safe to send a helicopter to the recovery zone, so we stopped,” comments Peter Beck, Executive Director of Rocket Lab.
Rocket telemetry dropped out (it happens a bit during reentry) but we did not recover a solid link in time. Without that link it’s just not safe to put the helicopter into the recovery zone, so we stood it off. The great thing about recovery is you get it back to see what happened https://t.co/ZawUJUnZ2B
— Peter Beck (@Peter_J_Beck) November 4, 2022
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During a live broadcast of the launch, a representative from Rocket Lab joked:
“Unfortunately, it looks like we’re not going to ship the Electron home dry today.”
After a great launch, we can confirm the primary mission is on track! Unfortunately no helicopter catch attempt today due to telemetry loss from Electron’s 1st stage during re-entry. As standard procedure, we pull the helicopter from the recovery zone if this happens pic.twitter.com/0tTnlh33Al
— Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) November 4, 2022
On a previous mission in May, after returning the booster from space, Rocket Lab was able to fix it on a hook mounted on a helicopter. But the pilot decided to drop the rocket immediately due to “different loading characteristics” that Rocket Lab did not encounter during preliminary tests.
The failed capture attempt overshadowed the successful launch of the MATS (Mesospheric Airglow/Aerosol Tomography and Spectroscopy) satellite, built for the Swedish National Space Agency to study waves in the upper atmosphere and their effect on weather and climate. It was originally planned that the 54-kilogram satellite would be used as an additional payload for the launch of the Soyuz spacecraft, but the Swedish government abandoned these plans after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Catch Me If You Can mission became Rocket Lab’s 9th mission in 2022, bringing the total number of satellites deployed by Electron to 152.
Congratulations @RymdstyrelsenSE and OHB Sweden on MATS’ deployment to space! Catch Me If You Can was our ninth mission this year, bringing total satellites deployed by Electron to 152. More info: https://t.co/o3BnQVynuT pic.twitter.com/ESW7s32VNs
— Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) November 4, 2022
Multiple launch is already being successfully implemented by SpaceX – after launch, the company’s first stage of the rocket successfully lands on a floating barge with the help of its engines. This allows you to significantly reduce operating costs and speed up the time between launches.
As conceived by Rocket Lab, reuse means that after the launch of the Electron rocket and the completion of the main part of the mission, the onboard systems should send the launch vehicle back to Earth. In this case, the rocket stage must maneuver properly so as not to receive damage during the descent stage. Upon reaching an altitude of about 13.4 km, the stage deploys a drag parachute to slow the fall, and then the main parachute.
Already at the stage of a slow descent, a helicopter should fly up to the stage and try to hook the parachute line with a dangling hook, avoiding splashdown in salty sea water. True, not every launch will be suitable for attempts to intercept a missile during the descent phase. Some flight paths will not allow you to perform the necessary actions.
A similar approach with a parachute and a helicopter is planned to be used by ULA in the Vulcan rocket, with the difference that they will not catch the first degree completely, but only the engine block (the most expensive component).
Live broadcast of the launch of the Electron rocket:
Source: Bloomberg , SpaceNews
