Newly knighted Sir Peter Beck, the founder of Rocket Lab, a multibillion-dollar company, has two major goals he wants to achieve. He wants to attend university and discover life on another planet.
Beck was recently honored as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his contributions to the aerospace industry, business, and education. Rocket Lab, founded in 2009, was the first to launch a rocket from the Southern Hemisphere into space. Since then, the company has successfully launched dozens of rockets, including for NASA, and has placed over 160 satellites into orbit.
Rocket Lab, now worth $2.1 billion and operating in three countries with around 2000 employees, competes with Blue Origin and SpaceX, owned by Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk respectively. Despite being outspent, Beck believes his company can compete through cunning and efficiency.
Rocket Lab is currently developing a large rocket called the Neutron, which is expected to launch next year. This rocket is designed to compete with SpaceX’s Falcon and can carry 13,000kg to orbit, a significant increase from the current 320kg capacity.
Beck also addressed criticism about Rocket Lab’s ties to the US defense industry. He clarified that any launch from New Zealand, where Rocket Lab operates, needs government approval. He also emphasized that Rocket Lab is only responsible for the rockets, not the cargo they carry.
Rocket Lab’s current major project is launching NASA’s PREFIRE satellites, which will measure heat loss at far-infrared wavelengths, providing valuable data for climate change models. Another mission involves sending two spacecraft to Mars to study its ionosphere.
Beck is particularly excited about a privately funded mission to Venus to search for life. In 2020, a study suggested the presence of phosphine, a gas typically produced by organic life, in the clouds of Venus. Beck hopes to send a probe to Venus to confirm this finding.
Despite his global success, Beck remains proud of his New Zealand roots and encourages Kiwi entrepreneurs to think bigger and solve global problems. Although retirement is still far off, Beck is considering attending university at that time.
