Successful Rocket Lab launch and descent of 1st stage
Capitalism in space: Rocket Lab today successfully used its Electron rocket to 30 smallsats into orbit from its launchpad in New Zealand.
They also did their first launch test of their planned method for recovering the first stage for reuse. In their case the first stage will use parachutes to slow its descent, and will then be grabbed by a helicopter to be brought back to land. On this launch they were only testing the parachute portion of this plan, and allowed the stage to land in the water, where they then recovered it.
The leaders in the 2020 launch race:
30 China
20 SpaceX
12 Russia
5 ULA
5 Rocket Lab
The U.S. now leads China 33 to 30 in the national rankings.
Capitalism in space: Rocket Lab today successfully used its Electron rocket to 30 smallsats into orbit from its launchpad in New Zealand.
They also did their first launch test of their planned method for recovering the first stage for reuse. In their case the first stage will use parachutes to slow its descent, and will then be grabbed by a helicopter to be brought back to land. On this launch they were only testing the parachute portion of this plan, and allowed the stage to land in the water, where they then recovered it.
The leaders in the 2020 launch race:
30 China
20 SpaceX
12 Russia
5 ULA
5 Rocket Lab
The U.S. now leads China 33 to 30 in the national rankings.