Rocket Lab says it just used a helicopter to catch a rocket booster as it plummeted back to Earth
CNN
Rocket Lab, which aims to launch satellites into space quickly and cheaply, said it just used a helicopter catch part of a rocket in mid-air.
In a mission labeled "There and Back Again," the 25-year-old space company successfully performed a mid-air helicopter capture of a falling rocket booster after a launch for the first time.
About 15 minutes after launch, cheers were heard on the livestream as the first-stage booster, which provides the initial thrust at liftoff but detaches after expending its fuel and deployed parachutes on its descent, appeared to be ensnared by the hook-wielding helicopter.
More Related News