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Rocket Lab is ready to catch a rocket booster with a helicopter. Yes, you read that right
SpaceX, re-flying its rocket boosters multiple times to drive down launch costs, but the two space companies are going about it differently.On Friday, Rocket Lab plans to fully test its method of retrieving a rocket booster after launch by catching it using a helicopter and parachute system. It will be the first end-to-end test of this recovery technique for the California-based company that launches in New Zealand.Here's the set-up: The Electron rocket will launch from New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula, carrying 34 ride-sharing satellites to orbit. After separation, the booster or bottom half of the rocket will begin returning to Earth, performing a series of complex maneuvers to allow it to survey the extreme heat as it re-enters Earth's atmosphere.Rocket Lab's Electron rocket launches on the mission called "As the Crow Flies" from New Zealand.