Rocket Lab deploys satellites for NASA, recovers booster

Rocket Lab launched seven satellites for NASA, Space Flight Laboratory and Spire Global from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. The Baby Come Back mission was Rocket Lab’s seventh launch for the year and the company’s 39th Electron launch overall. In addition to delivering a primary mission of deploying customer satellites to orbit, Rocket Lab completed an ocean splashdown and recovery of Electron’s first stage as part of the company’s program to make Electron the world’s first reusable small rocket. Around 2.5 minutes after lift-off, at an altitude of almost 75 km, Electron’s first stage separated from the second stage as planned. While the second stage continued onto orbit to deploy the seven satellites on board, Electron’s first stage began the journey back to Earth at speeds of more than 9,000 km per hour, reaching temperatures of 2,400 Celsius. At around 8.5 minutes after lift-off, the first stage successfully deployed a main parachute slowing its descent, enabling a soft splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. From there, Rocket Lab’s recovery team rendezvoused with the stage on the water, bringing it onto a vessel using a specially designed capture cradle. The stage is now enroute back to Rocket Lab’s production complex for analysis ahead to inform future recovery missions, and eventually re-flight of an Electron.