Company Profile

Rocket Lab is a privately owned rocket science company, offering rapid, intelligent solutions to complex aerospace problems.

Rocket Lab has extensive expertise in high level engineering design and analysis, as well as specific capability in hydrogen peroxide monopropellant, liquid bi-propellant, hybrid, steam and inert gas rocket engines. To date, rocket engines completed have ranged in size from 10N thrust to 30,000N.

Our current focus is on the Ātea series of suborbital space rockets which are designed to launch research and commercial payloads. View the programs section for further information about our projects and view our collaborators section for details on who we're working with.

Rocket Lab Key People

Peter Beck, CEO & Technical Director - Peter is an award winning scientist and engineer being presented with a Meritorious Medial from the Royal Aeronautical Society for service of an exceptional nature leading to major advances in New Zealand aviation and the Cooper Medal – presented by the Royal Society bi-annually to those deemed to have published the best single account of research in physics and engineering. Peter is also credited with five US and European patents and a provisional patent in hybrid rocket fuel. Following almost a decade and a half of propulsion research, market development and networking within the international space community Peter founded Rocket Lab Ltd in 2006 to develop the Ātea series of launch vehicles.

Prior to Rocket Lab, Peter held a distinguished career at a Crown research institute, Industrial Research Ltd, where he was heavily involved in the development of smart materials and structures, focusing on composites and the manipulation and processing of superconductors for practical applications.

Peter has a practical grounding and holds an advanced trade in precision engineering. This practical grounding has enabled Peter to maintain the ability to manufacture and complex prototypes throughout his career. Peter has built a number of propulsion systems including, inert gas thrusters, H₂O₂ mono and bi-propellant, liquid fuel bi-propellant, solid and hybrid. As technical director, Peter takes a hands-on approach in all areas including design manufacturing and testing. As CEO Peter enjoys the high level strategy, government liaison and growth of the business.

Mark Rocket, Company Director - Mark is a successful Internet entrepreneur operating a myriad of Web-orientated businesses. One of his ventures, New Zealand Tourism Guide Ltd, was purchased by Telecom Yellow Pages mid-2006. His other enterprises include Avatar Ltd, a Web design and marketing company established in 1998, and NZS.com Ltd, a New Zealand Web directory established in 2001.

Mark is a keen space enthusiast and was the first New Zealander to book a ticket into space with Virgin Galactic. Over the years he has developed a wide network within the international space community and is passionate about developing the privatisation of space access and research.

Nikhil Raghu, Senior Engineer - Nikhil joins Rocket Lab from an aerospace background and is responsible for high level analytical computations. Nikhil leads the CFD and structural code modelling, vehicle trajectory, thermodynamics and composite structures within Rocket Lab. Nikhil holds a Master of Engineering degree, specialising in failure analysis of advanced composite structures and has presented a number of papers in the propulsion field. He is  very hands on and is involved in all propulsion testing and data analysis.

Collaborators

Rocket Lab is currently working with key research and business collaborators to provide access to space for both space research and commercial ventures. Rocket Lab's collaborators are currently involved in various aspects of our Ātea rocket development program, view our collaborators page for further details.

Environmental Considerations

Rocket Lab's philosophy is to make our technology as environmentally friendly as we practically can.

We believe there are a number of exciting opportunities to develop greener rockets. In particular, we are working to develop bio-derived hybrid fuel grains, solid fuel binders and liquid fuels.

Ātea-2 Rocket Vs Car C0² Output - An average car produces approximately 2,000 kg of C0² per year, (based on 5,000 miles of travelling). A single Ātea-2 rocket produces 14 kg of C0² per launch - roughly equivalent to running one car for three days.