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WASHINGTON – Rocket Lab will try to recover the first stage of its Electron rocket at its next launch as the company continues its efforts to reuse that stage.
The company announced on November 5 that its next Electron launch, scheduled for November 15 (US time) from New Zealand, will include the company’s first attempt to recover the rocket’s first stage. After the separation of the stadium, the first stage will reorient itself for reentry, then deploy a drogue parachute and a larger main parachute before splashing into the Pacific Ocean about 400 kilometers from the launch site.
Rocket Lab has already tested elements of its recovery system, including two launches in which the first stage survived reentry to the surface. The company tested the parachute system separately. This launch, however, will be the first time the parachutes have been deployed.
“This is a comprehensive combination test, a conclusion to a series of tests we have done,” said Peter Beck, chief executive of Rocket Lab, in a call with reporters. “We can’t wait to really see what we have.”
Although the company has tested individual parts of the restore process, Beck said this will be the first chance to see how it all fits together. “There are still many unknowns here,” he said. “This is a test where all the elements come together and, of course, they all have to work together too. Parachutes are no good if the stage is coming backwards. “
When asked what made him more nervous about this test, he replied, “Everything.” Although the individual parts of this have been tested, putting it all together creates uncertainties. “I’ll stop being nervous once we have him back at the factory.”
If all goes as planned, the stage will sprint at a speed of about 10 meters per second. Two boats will be in the recovery area to recover the stage for later analysis. Weather conditions in the recovery area will be an additional issue for the launch, but Beck downplayed those concerns. “It will have to be a pretty sloppy time before you don’t go there,” he said.
Being able to recover the stage is an important step in Rocket Lab’s reuse plans, but not the final one. Once recovered, Beck said engineers will study it closely to determine what needs to be refurbished or replaced to get the stage back in condition for a launch. “We do not know structurally the conditions of the stage as it reenters the Earth’s atmosphere,” he said. “It could be compromised, as far as we know.”
Rocket Lab announced its intention to recover and reuse the early stages in August 2019. Beck said he was pressured to pursue reusability, which he initially dismissed as not feasible for a small launch vehicle like Electron, to help the company. to increase its launch rate without also having to increase its production facilities.
This remains the key factor in Electron reuse. “Even if we only get to use the stage one more time, it has the effect of effectively doubling the production,” he said. “Even one reuse is a huge benefit.”
The upcoming launch won’t test another aspect of Rocket Lab’s reusability plans: capturing the descending phase in mid-air using a helicopter. Although the company tested the helicopter’s recovery in drop tests earlier this year, Beck said he wanted to know the condition of the stage first, as well as make sure he could “passivate” or remove any remaining power sources from it. before attempting a test helicopter.
“We’ll do some of these splashdowns first,” he said. “If we have a stage in simply fantastic condition, and everything worked as we expected and everything was really safe, then we will move very quickly to try and catch one with a helicopter.”
The recovery attempt is a secondary objective of the launch, dubbed “Return to Sender” by Rocket Lab. The primary mission is to place 30 payloads in a 500 kilometer synchronous solar orbit, 24 of which are Spacebee satellites for Swarm Technologies. Others include payloads for Unseenlabs, a French company developing a constellation of radiofrequency tracking satellites; DRAGRACER, a satellite that will test the use of a cable for deorbiting; and a satellite built by New Zealand students to study the upper atmosphere.
The Electron stage will also carry a mass simulator in the form of a 3D printed gnome funded by Gabe Newell, founder of Valve Software, whose “Half-Life” game series included a character called “Gnome Chompski”. The mass simulator is also designed to test the use of a metal 3D printing technology that could be used for future satellites.
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