24/7 Space News
ROCKET SCIENCE
Rocket Lab Advances Electron Rocket Reusability with Successful Stage Reflight Preparation
illustration only
Rocket Lab Advances Electron Rocket Reusability with Successful Stage Reflight Preparation
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 11, 2024

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) has unveiled plans to reintegrate a previously flown Electron rocket's first stage tank into its production line, marking a crucial step towards achieving the first reflight of the stage. This move underscores Rocket Lab's objective to position the Electron as the first reusable small orbital launch vehicle globally.

The company has achieved multiple successful recoveries of Electron first stages, employing parachutes to guide them back to Earth, landing in the ocean, and then transporting them back to the production facility by a modified boat. These recovered boosters have undergone thorough analyses to refine the reusability process, but this occasion marks the first instance of reintroducing a tank to the production line for a planned reflight.

Recovered from the 'Four of a Kind' mission on January 31, 2024, the stage has undergone more acceptance tests than any other, including tank pressurization, a helium leak check, and carbon fiber structural tests through ultrasonic and other non-destructive methods to ensure the integrity of the carbon composite fibers.

The next steps for the stage include a final fit-out and a series of stringent qualification and acceptance tests, aligning with the standards applied to new Electron tanks to confirm its readiness for reflight.

Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder and CEO, noted the completion of their recovery and production scaling efforts as an exhilarating development, stating, Our main focus now is integrating pre-flown boosters into our standard production flow to scale up for future launches. Pending successful tests, we aim to explore further reflight opportunities next year.

Rocket Lab's iterative enhancements to the recovery process include safeguarding the Electron's structure against reentry heat and forces using innovative coatings and heat shields, refining the parachute system for consistent performance, and optimizing telemetry and marine recovery operations to secure the stages quickly post-splashdown.

The company will disclose the payload for the upcoming launch on this recovered stage following the final acceptance and qualification tests.

Related Links
Rocket Lab
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
ROCKET SCIENCE
Delta IV Heavy Completes Its Final Mission with NROL-70 Launch by US Space Force and ULA
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 10, 2024
The US Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC), together with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and United Launch Alliance (ULA), has successfully launched the NROL-70 mission. This launch, utilizing the Delta IV Heavy rocket for its final mission, occurred at 12:53 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Col. Jim Horne, SSC's senior materiel leader for the Launch Execution Delta, expressed satisfaction with the mission's success, highlighting ... read more

ROCKET SCIENCE
Expedition 71 Crew Conducts Medical Exams and Spacecraft Maintenance Aboard ISS

NASA Advances Solar Sail Technology for Future Space Exploration

Emerging Markets in the Space Economy: Opportunities Beyond the West

NASA Unveils Comprehensive Space Sustainability Strategy

ROCKET SCIENCE
Russian rocket lifts off at third attempt

Private Sector Innovation and Its Impact on the Space Industry

SpaceX launches military weather satellite into orbit

Private space company, Taobao team up to test rocket-powered deliveries

ROCKET SCIENCE
Exomars 2028 and the Search for Life on Mars

Looking back at Hinman Col: Sols 4146-4147

Perseverance uncovers a watery past on Mars

Continuing up the Channel: Sols 4139-4140

ROCKET SCIENCE
Space Devices Ensure Health of Taikonauts Aboard Tiangong Space Station

Shenzhou 17 astronauts complete China's first in-space repair job

Tiangong Space Station's Solar Wings Restored After Spacewalk Repair by Shenzhou XVII Team

BIT advances microbiological research on Chinese Space Station

ROCKET SCIENCE
Navigating the New Frontier: The Space Economy and Its Global Implications

Exolaunch Collaborates with HawkEye 360 for Satellite Deployment Services

The Economics of Falling Satellite Costs and Their Global Impact

UK Space Agency allocates 13 million pounds to international space projects

ROCKET SCIENCE
Chinese Satellite Successfully Tests 3D-Printed Storage Tank in Orbit

Revising satellite reentry design to mitigate orbital debris risks

SpaceBilt and Phison Skyrocket to International Space Station in 2025

Zenno Astronautics collaborates with Faraday Factory Japan on space-bound superconducting magnets

ROCKET SCIENCE
NASA's planet-hunter TESS temporarily shuts off

New insights into Earth's carbon cycle offer clues for habitability of other planets

First 'glory' on hellish distant world

CHEOPS identifies phenomenal 'Glory' on distant exoplanet WASP-76b

ROCKET SCIENCE
NASA unveils probe bound for Jupiter's possibly life-sustaining moon

Juice mission successfully tests Callisto flyby simulation

Assessing the ages of moons from impact craters

The PI's Perspective: Needles in the Cosmic Haystack

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.