cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/13858450

Rocket Lab was back in action on Wednesday, kicking off its launch year with a recovery Electron mission from New Zealand. This was its second return to flight mission following a mishap late last year.

On board the Electron rocket for the “Four of a Kind” mission were four Space Situational Awareness (SSA) satellites from Spire Global and NorthStar Earth & Space.

This was the 43rd launch overall for Rocket Lab to date and the latest mission to recover the first stage booster. About 17 minutes into the flight, the booster splashed down in Pacific Ocean under parachutes, where it was scooped up by a recovery vessel.

Rocket Lab has ambitions of re-flying a first stage booster in its entirety. Last August, it demonstrated partial reuse with the re-flight of a Rutherford engine.

Brief update on yesterday’s launch. Looks like it could be a busy year for Rocket Lab! I can’t wait for them to debut Neutron as well!

Are there any spaceflight/rocket enthusiasts here who would be interested in setting up a Rocket Lab community on Lemmy?