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November 28, 2021

Rocket Lab to Attempt Mid-Air Recovery

Just Like an Aerial Claw Game…With a Rocket

Rocket Lab, after 22 missions building experience, testing systems, and planning, has confirmed that it will finally aim for its longtime goal: Plucking a returning rocket booster from mid-air while it returns to Earth after a successful launch. Previous Electron Rocket missions have seen helicopter shadowing and tracking to prepare for the operation, but the next recovery operation would see all previous lessons culminate in one. The reusable rocket system has been popular with most launch service providers, allowing for more economical, sustainable operations in sum total.

Five Available Docking Ports Will Accommodate Multiple Russian Spacecraft

The five-ton Prichal docking module arrived at the International Space Station at 10:19 a.m. EST, propelled by a modified Russian Progress propulsion compartment. They docked to the Nauka module on the Earth-facing side of the Russian segment two days after lifting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Wednesday, Nov. 24 at 8:06 a.m. EST (6:06 p.m. Baikonur time). The spacecraft were flying about 260 miles over Ukraine at the time of docking.