Electron news no one noticed

[Peartree]

Startup Rocket Lab's Electron rocket launched a radar-imaging satellite yesterday but not only used a recoverable first stage, they used a "previously-flown" engine to do it.

Other than Spaceflight Now and a few posts on Twitter (now 'X') I'm not seeing much fanfare, or even discussion about this.

But has anyone, other than SpaceX, done this before?

That's really kind of a big deal.

Rocket Lab has just done what major space faring *nations* have not yet done. Well done folks.

Full article here:

https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/08/24/ele

 

[kuririn]

Video with launch highlights.

 

[Antares JS]

Space News also has an article that I saw this morning.

https://spacenews.com/rocket-lab-reuses-engine-on-electron-launch/
Technically the STS was the first to refly an engine.

Rocketlab has been working on reusability for some time though. They were originally going to snatch the first stage out of the sky with a parachute and helicopter but abandoned that idea after trying it a few times. They then started pulling parachuted first stages out of the ocean and found them to be in better condition than thought after hitting the salt water. After that, they started working towards just recovering the first stages from the ocean.

 

[BEC]

That reflown engine appeared to have performed as it should. I am looking forward to RocketLab joining the resuable-first-stage club. I expect that comparing that engine to the other eight on that flight will be enlightening to them.