Channel: New Scientist

Category: Science & Technology

Tags: reusable rockethelicopterbooster stagefalling rocketmarsrocketspacexspace explorationrocket lablaunchsatellitenew zealand

Description: US company Rocket Lab achieved a historic first by catching a rocket falling back to Earth in mid-air using a helicopter, but the manoeuvre was only partially successful after the helicopter was forced to drop the rocket into the ocean below. Launched from New Zealand’s Māhia peninsula, the company’s Electron rocket separated after two and a half minutes and its booster stage fell back to Earth, slowed with a series of parachutes. A Sikorsky S-92 helicopter then used a long cable to successfully hook the parachute of the first stage booster. Despite an initially successful catch, the helicopter was forced to drop the rocket into the ocean citing “different load characteristics” to previous capture tests. The rocket was later recovered by ship. Rocket Lab hopes to follow in the footsteps of SpaceX by making its rockets reusable to reduce launch costs. Learn more ➤ newscientist.com/article/2317745-rocket-lab-briefly-caught-a-falling-rocket-with-a-helicopter Subscribe ➤ bit.ly/NSYTSUBS Get more from New Scientist: Official website: bit.ly/NSYTHP Facebook: bit.ly/NSYTFB Twitter: bit.ly/NSYTTW Instagram: bit.ly/NSYTINSTA LinkedIn: bit.ly/NSYTLIN About New Scientist: New Scientist was founded in 1956 for “all those interested in scientific discovery and its social consequences”. Today our website, videos, newsletters, app, podcast and print magazine cover the world’s most important, exciting and entertaining science news as well as asking the big-picture questions about life, the universe, and what it means to be human. New Scientist newscientist.com