Rocket Lab was not able to catch the Electron rocket with a helicopter on the second attempt

The American company Rocket Lab wanted to learn how to use a helicopter to catch rockets after putting a load into orbit. But so far it has not succeeded. The key problems are unpredictable aerodynamics and the short time span for capture.

Here's What We Know

Rocket Lab intends to intercept descending rockets in mid-air to reduce recovery costs and lower the cost of subsequent launches. On Nov. 4, a $7.5 million Electron rocket launched a Swedish satellite weighing 50 kilograms into orbit, and its first stage returned to Earth using a parachute.

The helicopter pilot wanted to capture the parachute, but the attempt failed at an early stage. Rocket Lab representatives said that the first stage stopped sharing telemetry during the descent, as a result of which the helicopter was unable to make the seizure.

The rocket eventually landed in the ocean. Because of the corrosive environment, it could be more expensive to recover than to make a new spacecraft.

Rocket Lab first attempted to capture a sinking rocket in the spring of this year. The first attempt also failed. However, then the pilot managed to capture the rocket, but because of the heavy load he was forced to throw it into the ocean to prevent a crash.

Source: CNN

Image: Space