Rocket Lab Plans To Catch Its Reusable Rockets In Midair With A Helicopter

Maitreyi Mantha
Thu, 14 Nov 2019 14:11:37 -0800

Two years ago, aerospace manufacturer SpaceX stunned the world by landing its reusable booster engine — the biggest and most costly part of the rocket used to power spacecrafts into low orbit — on an autonomous drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Now, California-based startup Rocket Lab, has come up with an even bolder idea: using parachutes and helicopters to capture the returning booster, or first stage as it is often called, in midair!