Nov 192020
Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket successfully launched from New Zealand and put 30 small satellites into orbit. Additionally, the first stage seems to have come down under parachutes for a splashdown in the ocean; it seems recovery operations are planned and/or underway. The eventual goal is to air snatch the booster with a helicopter; not as elegant as SpaceX’s hoverslam recovery, but, hey, better than anything Soyuz or Atlas or Delta does.
The view of the main chute from Electron's first stage as it returned to Earth. https://t.co/3YcSvrYIGi
— Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) November 20, 2020