Rocket Lab’s ‘Love at First Insight’ Launch & Recovery Test a Success

By Leighton Powell
Australia Correspondent

California-based Rocket Lab has successfully launched 2 satellites atop their Electron rocket from the company's Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. The company said this mission included a controlled ocean splashdown and recovery of the Electron first stage, which in turn paved the way for a future attempt at a mid-air capture of the booster by helicopter. Lift off was at 01:38 UTC, 18 November 2021.

The first stage returned to earth with the aid of parachutes for deceleration before a soft landing in the ocean some 200 nautical miles offshore, according to Rocket Lab.

The payload consisted of two earth-imaging satellites placed into low earth orbit for customer BlackSky.

Rocket Lab nicknamed this launch 'Love at First Insight' in reference to the effort to gain more data and expertise on the road to future recoveries of the first stage. According to Rocket Lab, a helicopter and barge tracked the booster during descent, testing communication with the vehicle. In a post-flight statement to the press, Peter Beck, CEO of Rocket Lab, said, "This is our third successful proof of concept recovery mission," which will allow the company to move onto the next phase of recovery testing. Unlike competitors SpaceX and Blue Origin who land their vehicles on barges or solid ground, Rocket lab will attempt to catch the first stage using a pair of helicopters in mid-flight.

Video of Rocket Lab - Love At First Insight Launch