Rocket Lab - "Return to Sender" Mission patch.
Nov. 30, 2020
A little over a week on from the Return to Sender mission, our team is still on a high from recovering an Electron booster for the first time. This was a monumental milestone and achievement for our recovery plans and sets us on a strong path to make Electron a reusable launch vehicle. Check out how it all went down in the full mission summary below.
We achieved everything we set out to with the Return to Sender recovery mission, including:
- Surviving 'The Wall': Re-entering Earth’s atmosphere is a brutal experience. We knew Electron’s first stage would be subjected to intense pressure and heat, experiencing flow temperatures in excess of 2400 °C and reaching speeds of 2350 m/s during its descent. To help Electron survive this environment, we employed a reaction control system (RCS) to position the stage as it fell, setting it on the ideal angle of attack to withstand re-entry. The system performed perfectly, setting us up well for the parachute deployment.
- Parachute Deployment: A key objective we set out to achieve with the Return to Sender recovery attempt was to test the main parachute system. This system is used to slow and stabilize Stage 1 during re-entry and reduce the ocean impact speed low enough that we recover Electron’s first stage in one piece. The system worked flawlessly. The drogue parachute on Electron’s first stage was deployed to increase drag and to stabilize the stage as it descended, before the large main parachute successfully deployed to further slow the stage and enable a controlled splashdown.
- Recovery at Sea: Our team aboard the “Catch of the Day” recovery vessel was able to locate Electron shortly after splashdown. That first glimpse of an intact Electron bobbing gently on the ocean surface is one we’ll never forget. With the weather starting to turn, rough seas made getting the stage onto the recovery vessel challenging, but Electron was soon on deck and ready to head home. Within 48 hours, we had the stage back in our production complex and undergoing inspection. The stage held up remarkably well. The carbon composite structure was completely intact – not bad after experiencing the trip to space and back in just 13 minutes. As expected, the heatshield on the base of the stage suffered some heat damage during re-entry. It was never designed for this load case, but before we strengthen the heat shield we wanted to see just how much heat it could take unchanged. With a wealth of data on this now, our team has already started working on upgrades for future recovery missions.
Rocket Lab - Return To Sender Launch 11/20/2020 (Replay)
Related article:
Rocket Lab - Electron “Return to Sender” launch
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/11/rocket-lab-electron-return-to-sender.html
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