Rocket Lab completes its first successful landing of spacecraft back on Earth

1:36 pm on 23 February 2024

The Rocket Lab spacecraft designed, built, and operated for Varda Space Industries which enabled the production of pharmaceutical products on orbit, has been successfully returned to Earth. Photo: X / Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab says its first successful landing of a spacecraft back on Earth was like hitting a bullseye while blindfolded.

The satellite landed in the Utah desert on Thursday after a mission testing the benefits of making pharmaceuticals in orbit.

Communications manager Murielle Baker told Morning Report the process was incredibly complex.

"Launching satellites to space is pretty routine for us these days but this is the very first time we've ever attempted to bring one back to Earth," Baker said.

"If our satellite in returning this capsule had lit up its engine for a fraction of a second longer than it was meant to, that would've shifted the entire mission off course by hundreds of kilometres and we'd be talking about Mexico instead of Utah."

She recalled Rocket Lab chief executive Peter Beck describing the process as "like throwing a dart from across a rugby field to land a bullseye on a pinhead while you're blindfolded".

Rocket Lab chief executive Peter Beck Photo: Supplied / Rocket Lab

The mission was on behalf of American research company Varda Space Industries.

"Varda, the customer on our spacecraft, had this idea that crystal molecules made in microgravity can result in purer samples than what can be made on Earth," Baker said.

"That can make it more efficient for people to use those drugs for HIV or Hepatitis B, so now that the capsule is back on land, they're going to be analysing those crystals to find out just how well they've turned out."

Though sending a rocket to space for some crystals might seem like overkill, Baker said it was the cheapest option.

"When you think about the cost of microgravity labs on Earth, it's hundreds of millions of dollars, but to launch to space now on a rocket can cost as little as single-digit millions," she said.

"We have three more of these exact same missions, our second satellite for Varda has already been built and is waiting to be launched in the coming months."

Baker said 2024 would be a big year for Rocket Lab.

"We have about 40 more [satellites] on the go," she said. "You'll be hearing a lot more in the coming months."