NASA's Artemis I mission attempts to launch with non-reusable technology, but that hasn't stopped reuse rocket engines from becoming all the rage. The only way to significantly lower launch costs is to reuse the engines. Every fan of space exploration should be happy that another small start-up company, RocketLab, has successfully retested a rocket that flew in space.
Several of the Raptor engines have been flown into space by the company. There are other companies that want to reuse their rockets. This milestone has been eyed by RocketLab for a while now.
The company made headlines in May when it caught its rocket stage in the air with a helicopter. The company had to use a net on a boat in order to catch its fairings.
The helicopter catch was the first step in a multi-stage process to get to a re-supply rocket. The helicopter dropped the rocket into the ocean, where it was picked up by a ship.
Sea water can be harmful to metal if it is left in it for a long time. If you want to reuse a rocket, it is probably best to leave it out of the drink.
It wouldn't make sense for RocketLab to just go for landing the rockets back on the ground. There is a simple answer. Even if it is landing on a drone ship, the Electron can only lift about 17,000 lbs, which is less than the weight of a falcon 9.
A credit is given to Rocket Lab via social media.
The size difference between the two rockets makes it possible for a Falcon 9 to carry enough fuel to land upright on a pad without compromising on carrying capacity. If Electron carried enough fuel to land upright on a pad, it wouldn't have enough room to carry its cargo. The price of an electron will fall as the rockets become re-usable.
When it test-fired the rocket that was dumped in the ocean, the company took a step in that direction. All returned rockets need to be refurbished. It passed all of the static fire tests with flying colors, including producing enough thrust to get into space and passing all of the marks on the power plant.
This is great news for the company and the industry as a whole. Next up is completing a helicopter catch without having to drop it into the ocean and then move on to reuse a rocket that has been to space. It looks like launch costs will be falling even further thanks to even more re-usable rockets.
You can learn more.
The first test fire of a re-used engine was successful.
The UT did it. The rocket lab uses a tool to catch and release a rocket.
UT shows off its new rocket.
The RocketLab recovered a first-stage booster for the first time.
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