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<\/p>\nRocket Lab, which opened its 2023 campaign with the inauguration of its first US-based launch pad, has launched its second consecutive mission from Launch Complex 2 at NASA\u2019s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Liftoff of the \u201cStronger Together\u201d mission occurred 38 minutes into the two-hour window, with T0 at 6:38 PM EDT (22:38 UTC) on Thursday, March 16.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
This mission utilized Rocket Lab\u2019s workhorse launch vehicle: the two-stage Electron rocket. Thursday\u2019s launch went into the books as the 34th total Electron flight, and the rocket\u2019s second flight so far in 2023.<\/p>\n
In recent years, Rocket Lab has tried recovering the first stage of Electron to meet increasing launch demand and reduce turnaround times between flights. These efforts included two attempts at a mid-air catch of the booster in 2022 using a helicopter, both of which came close to success but ultimately failed.<\/p>\n
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Render of an Electron first stage descending under parachute. (Credit: Mack Crawford for NSF\/L2)<\/p>\n
As of late, however, the California-based company is weighing its options in terms of first stage reuse, as indicated by CEO Peter Beck in a Feb. 28 earnings call with investors.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
This could include a shift to ocean recovery using only marine assets, as was used during initial Electron retrieval tests before the eventual catch attempts took place. The next booster recovery operation, which will take place during the upcoming \u201cThe Beat Goes On\u201d mission from New Zealand, will see Electron fitted with additional waterproofing for ocean landings.<\/p>\n
Per Beck, the data gained from marine recovery during this upcoming flight will help Rocket Lab to determine a proper route towards facilitating a reliable and rapid means of reuse for Electron, whilst keeping costs to a minimum.<\/p>\n
Space Shuttle models (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n Ultimately, there was no planned attempt at a first stage retrieval during the launch from Wallops, as Electron flew in a fully expendable configuration.<\/p>\n The payload for the \u201cStronger Together\u201d mission consisted of two spacecraft from Capella Space, a company headquartered in San Francisco, California that specializes in building satellites used for Earth observation and imaging.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n