A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
Rocket Lab will next month attempt to bring a rocket back from space.
The United States-based company's next mission from its Mahia launch complex will attempt to slow down the Electron launch vehicle as it re-enters Earth's atmosphere before splashing down in the ocean.
“The complex mission is the nextmajor step toward making Electron the first orbital-class reusable small launch vehicle, enabling rapid-turnaround launches for small satellites,” a statement from Rocket Lab said.
Scheduled for launch in mid-May, the “Running Out of Toes” mission will be Rocket Lab's 20th Electron launch and the second of three planned ocean splashdown recovery missions.
“Once Electron is at subsonic speeds, a circular parachute is deployed to help further slow the rocket in preparation for a gentle ocean splashdown,” said the statement.
A Rocket Lab vessel will then rendezvous with the stage in the splashdown zone, approximately 650km from Launch Complex 1, and retrieve it for transport back to Rocket Lab's production complex for inspection.
