'There And Back Again': The falling booster was caught by a helicopter as part of a mission by Rocket Labs to make their rockets usable.
An unreal technological manoeuvre on Tuesday saw a space company called Rocket Lab use a helicopter to try and catch a rocket falling from the sky. In a feat that the company’s founder called a “supersonic ballet”, rocket booster falling back from space was momentarily caught mid-air and then dropped by the helicopter into the ocean.
The trial was part of a bid by the company to make its rockets reusable. The helicopter had to let go off its catch for safety reasons. Once dropped into the Pacific Ocean, the rocket was recovered using a boat. Nevertheless, the stunning act of catching a rocket has grabbed attention globally.
Based in California, Rocket Lab regularly launches its 18-meter (59-foot) Electron rockets which transport satellites to space. From its regular launch spot in the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand, the company launched 34 satellites into space on Tuesday before trying to catch the rocket that ferried them on its return to Earth.
As the main booster stage of the rocket began its fall towards Earth, the speed was first reduced to around 10 meters (33 feet) per second with the help of a parachute. The helicopter then caught the rocket by hooking to the parachute line. The rocket had to be dropped as the total load on the aircraft exceeded safety limits.
The awesome act was recorded on cam and people saw it live via streaming of the manoeuvre. Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck has said that the mission was a success. “They got a great catch. They just didn't like the way the load was feeling,” Beck said of the helicopter crew in a conference call after the launch.
The brief catch of the falling rocket occurred at an altitude of around 1,980 meters or 6,500 feet. The helicopter was a Sikorsky S-92.
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(With inputs from PTI/ AP)
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 "Rocket Lab helicopter catches rocket")
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