from the catch-a-falling-star-and-put-it-in-your-pocket dept.
Next Rocket Lab Launch Will Catch Returning Booster in Midair With a Helicopter:
The New Zealand- and US-based company plans to attempt recovering one of its Electron rocket boosters with the help of a chopper to conclude its next mission.
"Trying to catch a rocket as it falls back to Earth is no easy feat, we're absolutely threading the needle here," said Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck in a statement.
Rocket Lab has snatched rocket replicas using a helicopter, but has yet to grab an actual Electron as it falls back to Earth from a trip to space.
As they detail in their news release, the attempt will happen as part of their upcoming "There and Back Again" mission slated to deliver 34 small commercial satellites to orbit. A 14-day launch window opens April 19. They will use their Sikorsky S-92 helicopter to catch the Electron rocket's first stage as it returns to Earth on parachute and return it for refurbishment and reuse.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 09 2022, @02:00AM (7 children)
Sounds like evil-knivel bush-league version of space x booster rocket landing back vertically.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by sgleysti on Saturday April 09 2022, @03:46AM (1 child)
It's definitely out there. On the other hand, the method used by Space X requires a certain amount of additional fuel to slow down the first stage for landing. This method might require less additional fuel.
I'd like to hear an interview with the helicopter pilot(s); they're probably interesting people.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 09 2022, @05:13AM
Air capture doesn't use any additional fuel and the parachute should be lighter than landing legs. Electron is even smaller than Falcon 1 was so while it can't afford the payload penalty of a powered landing, air capture should work out fine. The real question is what it will cost to recover and refurbish vs a new rocket. With Astra nipping at their heels, Rocket Lab needs to find ways to cut costs soon.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 09 2022, @03:52AM
If they can do it right 5, 10 times in a row, they have a winner.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 09 2022, @04:52AM (3 children)
Using a helicopter to snag a parachute isn't exactly new. The USAF used to catch spy satellite film canisters that way back in the 60's. An Electron first stage is quite a bit bigger, but it is mostly about practice to get it right.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 09 2022, @06:47PM (2 children)
I believe they used C-130 aircraft to catch those, which is probably the better thing to use anyway, but I imagine the flight time costs are probably way more for a C-130-like plane than this helo. I'd also trust the air stability of a fixed wing plane for this over a helo, but I'm sure the pilot will have his hand on the cord release the whole time here.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 09 2022, @10:12PM
I looked it up and you are mostly correct. They used the smaller C-119J [wikipedia.org]. Its cruise speed was only 2/3 that of the C-130 so it should have had better handling close to stall. That's what makes a helicopter attractive for this, it should have a better capture rate and can more easily make a second attempt if it misses.
Fixed wing pilots tend to trust ground vehicles more than helicopters. ;)
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 12 2022, @09:15AM
Sorry for the necro, but I found some information about the helicopters that Rocket Lab uses for Electron recovery. If I'm reading it right they are currently spending $3k/h for a Bell 429, but plan to upgrade to a $5k/h Sikorsky S-92.
source:
https://everydayastronaut.com/neutron-update-interview-with-peter-beck/ [everydayastronaut.com]
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Frosty Piss on Saturday April 09 2022, @10:33AM (2 children)
This is *not* a technique that could be used with “real” i.e. larger rockets such as a Falcon. Maybe little toy rockets that put little payloads into little orbits… Hell, probably even Bezos’ toy rocket would be too much.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 09 2022, @10:23PM
Electron is a working orbital class rocket. Even the smaller Astra rocket can claim that much. Both are much smaller than Bezos's carnival ride, but that doesn't make them toys. The term is 'vertically challenged'. *grumbling Yoda noises*
(Score: 2) by isostatic on Sunday April 10 2022, @09:34AM
Bezo's is a toy rocket, it can't put anthing into orbit. Electron can.
(Score: 2) by MIRV888 on Saturday April 09 2022, @11:03AM (2 children)
Even a Chinook can't carry the load of a large booster. The engines constitute the bulk of the weight. I'll be curious to see how large of a rocket we're talking about.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 09 2022, @10:44PM
I can't find dry mass figures, but Electron [wikipedia.org]'s first stage is 40 feet long and nearly 4 feet in diameter.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 11 2022, @12:31AM
3rd party fan page says stage1 Empty Mass (tonnes) 0.95 t
https://www.spacelaunchreport.com/electron.html [spacelaunchreport.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 09 2022, @03:12PM (3 children)
increase of knowledge about your design by a factor of two IF you can analyze the rocket IN ONE PIECE ...uhm...err... afterwards.
obviously spaceX has the best rockets so far 'cause they don't have to reassemble the rocket from a debris field after. if people would understand this they would maybe see that spaceX rockets aren't anywhere near perfect? but as long as the "knowledge horizon" ends with a crater in the ground, spaceX has the best rockets hands down ...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 09 2022, @03:28PM (1 child)
spaceX is a still a mechanical rocket. maybe the perfect one. however mechanucal systems have limitations (gear ratios?) that electrical systems don't have.
maybe it's time to move on from centrifugal fuel pumps and have a go at mhd engines :D
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 09 2022, @11:02PM
Great, all we need is a compact, light weight fusion reactor to power it, or a very long heavy duty extension cord. ;)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 10 2022, @11:43PM
Why Falcon 9 is Better than Even SpaceX Thought [youtube.com]