Bringing a Rocket Back from Space: Rocket Lab to Recover Electron Booster on Next Mission
LONG BEACH, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Rocket Lab, the leading launch and space systems company, today announced that on its next mission the company will attempt to bring a rocket back from space, slowing the Electron launch vehicle down from speeds of >Mach 8 as it re-enters Earth’s atmosphere before splashing the rocket down in the ocean. The complex mission is the next major step toward making Electron the first orbital-class reusable small launch vehicle, enabling rapid-turnaround launches for small satellites.
Scheduled for launch in May 2021 from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, the ‘Running Out of Toes’ mission will be Rocket Lab’s 20th Electron launch overall and the second of three planned ocean splashdown…
