Rocket Lab catches, then drops booster in helicopter capture attempt

Source: CNN Business

Rocket Lab catches, then drops booster in helicopter capture attempt

By Jennifer Korn and Jackie Wattles, CNN Business
Updated 0055 GMT (0855 HKT) May 3, 2022

New York (CNN Business) — Rocket Lab, which aims to launch satellites into space quickly and cheaply, said it just used a helicopter to catch part of a rocket in mid-air. But the rocket was dropped into the ocean shortly after, ending up having to be fished out of the water.

This mission, labeled "There and Back Again," took off at 6:50 pm ET.

Company communications advisor, Murielle Baker, after initially declaring success, came onto the companies webcast to acknowledge the pilot of the helicopter dropped the rocket "at his discretion" after experiencing a "different load characteristic" than he had during test runs of the catch.

Still, Baker called the initial catch "a monumental step forward."

-snip-

Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/05/02/tech/rocket-lab-helicopter-booster/index.html