Rocket Lab successfully completes 1st test fire of reused Rutherford Engine

Rocket Lab USA, Inc has successfully test fired a reused Rutherford first stage engine for the first time – a significant technical achievement in the Company’s efforts to make its Electron launch vehicle the world’s first reusable orbital small rocket.

Rocket Lab conducted the full duration, full-thrust test fire of the refurbished Rutherford engine earlier this week at the Company’s engine test facility. The engine was previously successfully launched from the company’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand on May 2, putting 34 satellites into orbit, and returned to Earth during Rocket Lab’s recent recovery mission, ‘There And Back Again’.

The mission was the first time Rocket Lab attempted a mid-air capture of Electron’s first stage, using parachutes on the rocket to slow its descent from space. At 6,500ft Rocket Lab’s Sikorsky S-92 helicopter rendezvoused with the rocket stage and captured it. But the pilot detected different load characteristics then previously experienced in testing and offloaded the stage for a successful splash down. The Electron stage was ultimately collected by a boat and returned to Rocket Lab’s production complex.

The refurbished Rutherford engine passed the same rigorous acceptance tests Rocket Lab performs for every engine, including 200 seconds of engine fire and multiple restarts. Data from the test fire shows the engine produced full thrust of 21kNs within 1000 milliseconds of ignition and performed to the same standard as a newly-built Rutherford engine. This Rutherford engine will now continue as an engine life-leader for future Rutherford development.

Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck said: “Being able to refly Electron with minimal refurbishment is the ultimate goal, and so the fact that the recovered components on this engine performed on the test stand with minimal rework is further validation that we’re on the right path. If we can achieve this high level of performance from engine components recovered from the ocean, then I’m optimistic and incredibly excited about what we can do when we bring back dry engines under a helicopter next time.”

Preparation for Rocket Lab’s next recovery mission, which will include an attempt to catch Electron with a helicopter again, but this time fly it back to land, is continuing at pace and is scheduled to launch before the end of the year.