Catch Me If You Can

Launched from Pad B at Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula, the “Catch Me If You Can” mission was Rocket Lab’s 32nd Electron launch overall and second recovery mission of 2022.

The mission deployed its 152^nd satellite to orbit, the MATS science payload for the Swedish National Space Agency. 

The “Catch Me If You Can” mission also resulted in a successful ocean splashdown of the Electron rocket’s first stage. Rocket Lab had planned to attempt amid-air capture of Electron’s first stage with a helicopter if conditions allowed, however not all requirements were met to ensure a successful capture Due to a brief telemetry loss with Electron’s first stage during its atmospheric re-entry, the helicopter was moved out of the capture zone per standard safety procedure. The Electron first stage completed a safe splashdown and will be brought back to Rocket Lab’s production facility for inspection and analysis.