SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, managed to become one of the world’s leading space industry companies in a very short time. We can even say that he is currently in the leadership seat. But among its biggest rivals, Rocket Lab may turn the situation in its favor in the near future, thanks to a new idea it has come up with. With the successful launch made today, it succeeded in taking the first step on this path.
New statement from the SpaceX Crew-3 team
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Rocket Lab caught a rocket with a helicopter!
Founded in 2006 by Peter Beck, a New Zealand engineer and entrepreneur, Rocket Lab has achieved a new success today. He caught the falling rocket with a helicopter after releasing the load it was carrying out of the atmosphere.
Thanks to this operation, the company has shown that it will be one of Elon Musk’s biggest competitors. Because Musk’s space transportation company SpaceX allows the reuse of launched rockets in order to reduce operational costs.
In this way, the cost of carrying any small or large satellite or capsule into space is reduced to fuel costs instead of hundreds of millions of dollars (rocket costs). Of course, SpaceX ensures that all rockets, especially Falcon-9, can land on their own in order to achieve this task.
This requires the use of high technology and software. In addition, dozens of trials and R&D expenses until successful are also a burden. But all this can be avoided with a simple idea from Peter Beck.
Because Beck allows the rockets to open a custom-made parachute and to be caught while in the air with a modified special helicopter, while they are falling to the world after dropping their cargo into space. Today, we can say that the first mission accomplished was successful.
Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck said in a statement on the subject:
An incredible catch was carried out by the rescue team. I cannot fully explain how difficult this action actually was and what the pilots achieved. Because they were not happy with the way it flew, they released it after tying it. But it does not matter. The rocket has landed safely and the ship is now loading it.
You can watch the moment of the operation between 52:37 and 53:55 minutes in the launch video below.
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