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I suspect that this will only be a viable procedure until the inevitable accident that causes a helicopter crash, then it will be deemed too risky for regular u

• trothamel 5y ago
  Something very similar (capturing space capsules) was done regularly from the 1960s to the 1980s, so it's not like there isn't precedent for this.
  • hutzlibu 5y ago
    But that was in military context, with higher risk tolerance to loss of human life. (for getting intel, way more dangerous methods are applied all the time)
    • gameswithgo 5y ago
• samwillis 5y ago
  While you are probably technically right, I think you are over estimating the risks involved. The booster will be under a parachute, travelling relatively slowly, and there will clearly be many safety precautions and features involved. They will certainly have a stringent check list before proceeding with the attempt as well as some sort of fail safe cutting of the lies if something goes wrong. I would expect the chance of a serious accident to be very low. Also keep in mind these sort of mid air captures were well practiced by the US during the Cold War to capture returning photographic film from spy satellites. Although that was with airplanes not helicopters. A variation of it is actually shown at the end of James Bond Thunderball where he and the girl are rescued from a life raft via a balloon and capturing plane.
  • scoopertrooper 5y ago
    Low as it may be, it seems like an unreasonable risk, given the recent advancements in pilotless (and remotely piloted) aircraft.
  • marcosdumay 5y ago
    Helicopters bring more risks than airplanes. Helicopters with external attachments are notoriously risky (for aviation standards). Helicopters with external attachments that bring momentum independently of the main vessel are the kind of thing that looks way too risky. An airplane would probably cope much better. And even then, the fact that the military do something is not a good reason to expect it to be viable for civilian use. Military applications tend to accept much more risks.
    • moralestapia 5y ago
      >An airplane would probably cope much better. LOL. Yeah sure, so the plan is to have something traveling at 800kph somehow intercept a falling rocket stage, catching it in a web or whatever and start dragging it along and somehow land safely afterwards? Thanks man, you made my day :D
      • Rebelgecko 5y ago
        C-130s (like the planes that were used for retrieving objects dropped from satellites) are fine flying at 200kph, no need to max out their speed.
        • refulgentis 5y ago
          To their point, I'm not sure how well a carefully controlled slow descent and catch interplays with an object that can never be in place, in fact, it needs to be at 200 kph. Sounds much less safe.
          • mulmen 5y ago
            It works great. This story isn’t notable for the recovery method. It is notable because of what is being recovered (a reusable rocket booster).
• ortusdux 5y ago
  I have friends in forestry, and their industry routinely uses helicopters, despite the risk, for a much lower ROI. Below are some videos of a christmas tree farm and a remote logging operation. I can't imagine that what rocket lab is attempting will be anything short of 10-100x safer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08K_aEajzNA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08K_aEajzNA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kin7cxnyM1M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kin7cxnyM1M
  • ISL 5y ago
    Power-line work on live transmission lines always seems incredibly bonkers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPNK7bc2qvM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPNK7bc2qvM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YmFHAFYwmY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YmFHAFYwmY Let's fly a massive chainsaw beside a powerline. That'll be safe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfz1YrpMbBg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfz1YrpMbBg
    • bombcar 5y ago
      The more you investigate industries the more solutions you find that were obviously designed by five year old boys. I'll just use a CHAINSAW on a HELICOPTER!
      • Kon-Peki 5y ago
        How about helicopters lifting things from the street to the roof of a skyscraper? With the spinning blades mere feet from giant windows with people on the other side? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqnXj4oc3WY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqnXj4oc3WY (Look at around 12:30 for the most extreme) I saw this kind of stuff multiple times when I lived in a high-rise. It's surreal to go out on your balcony, look down, and see a flying helicopter.
      • skocznymroczny 5y ago
        Reminds me of the chase scene in "The World Is Not Enough"
  • 5y ago