Rotorcraft
Sikorsky S-92 To Recover Rocket's First Stage in Midair
A Sikorsky S-92 helicopter will be used in an attempt to recover Rocket Lab's reusable Electron satellite booster mid-air following the rocket launch.
A Sikorsky S-92 helicopter will be used in an attempt to recover Rocket Lab's reusable Electron satellite booster mid-air following the stage one and two separation minutes after launch. (Photo: Rocket Lab)
A Sikorsky S-92 helicopter will be used in an attempt to recover Rocket Lab's reusable Electron satellite booster mid-air following the stage one and two separation minutes after launch. (Photo: Rocket Lab)

Rocket Lab plans to use a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter to recover the first stage of a reusable satellite launch vehicle in midair. The recovery of the Electron launch vehicle's first stage could occur as early as Friday. Rocket Lab has fitted the highly-modified helicopter with auxiliary fuel tanks and plans to capture the parachuted launch stage with a line hook at a location approximately 150 miles from its Pad A launch site on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula.  


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