COLORADO SPRINGS—An Electron rocket that returned from a mission 10 weeks ago has been returned to Rocket Lab’s operational fleet for reflight, a milestone in the company’s efforts to step up its launch cadence by reusing first-stage boosters.
“That’s a huge milestone because it’s a lot of work to recertify,” Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck told Aerospace DAILY.
A payload for the booster’s second flight has not yet been determined. “As far as a customer is concerned, they should think about their vehicle as no different than a new one,” Beck said. “We’re not putting anything on the pad unless we have at least as much confidence in it as we would have with a new one.”
The stage made a parachute landing off the coast of New Zealand on Jan. 31 after dispatching a quartet of space situational awareness satellites into orbit for Spire Global and its customer, NorthStar Earth & Space of Montreal.
“It’s been through a lot of significant testing already and it’s in the best shape that we’ve seen yet,” noted Morgan Bailey, senior communications director at Rocket Lab. “So it’s going back into the production flow where it will undergo all the final tests and assembly to be prepared for reflight.”
The tests include helium leak checks, structural testing and pressurizing the carbon composite tank with inert gas and holding it in excess of maximum operating pressure for more than 20 times longer than the standard Electron flight duration, Rocket Lab noted.
“The stage will now undergo final fit-out and rigorous qualification and acceptance testing to the same standard as a brand-new Electron tank to determine the recovered stage’s suitability for reflight,” the company said in a statement.
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