New Zealand rocket caught but then dropped by helicopter
Using a helicopter to catch a falling rocket is such a complex task that Peter Beck likens it to a “supersonic ballet
The California-based company regularly launches 18-meter (59-foot) rockets from the remote Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand to deliver satellites into space
On Tuesday, the Electron rocket was launched in the morning and sent 34 satellites into orbit
The crew caught the rocket but the load on the helicopter exceeded the parameters from tests and simulations, so they jettisoned it
The roller coaster of emotions was caught in a livestream of the event, with people at mission control cheering and clapping as the rocket was caugh
Still, Beck hailed the mission as a success, saying that almost everything went to plan and that the unexpected load
Still, Beck hailed the mission as a success, saying that almost everything went to plan and that the unexpected load