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Rocket Lab

deterioration of satellites after they complex piece of the launch system looking at improvements and making
are finished with, reducing space junk and we saw some behaviour that we the launch vehicle lighter but it doesn’t
more quickly. didn’t like. It’s like sitting in the car make change for the sake of change.
The launch comes after two when you see your engine check light “From day one our target has not
postponements. The April 20 launch is on. You’re not going to take it for a been to get to orbit but to get to orbit
from Mahia Peninsula on the east drive. with a fully mass-produced launch
coast of the North Island of New “We don’t take risks and would vehicle,” he says.
Zealand was aborted after unusual rather take our time now, than have a “We have optimised as much
behaviour in a motor controller during big backlog of vehicles in production as we can optimise. From hereon
a “wet rehearsal”. because of a recurring issue.” in it might be about improving our
Then after weather delays in June up-front performance or making
and a downrange ground station Rocket stats manufacturing performance
problem in the Chatham Islands, the Beck said the Electron Rocket was improvements but we came straight
launch was again abandoned because designed with mass production in out of our test program with
of a motor controller problem. The mind from the start and the New something that is commercially ready
motor controller has since been Zealand launch site was developed for and highly manufacturable and that is
modified and qualification tested launches every 72 hours, a rate higher testament to our team that developed
ahead of the November launch. than anywhere else in the world. the product.”
The December launch for NASA He says the remote location on
will take payloads for research and the Mahia Peninsula presented Funding
development in on-orbit science by unique challenges during the site’s Though Rocket Lab had its origins in
educational institutions. development. Rocket Lab had to build New Zealand the necessity of initially
Beck says postponements are pretty roads, upgrade Internet capability to raising US$200 million to bring the
typical in the industry. the whole region and work through company to market meant moving it
“We don’t actually roll a vehicle out the necessary regulatory requirements. close to its venture capital investors.
on the pad unless it is absolutely good. Launches from the site can access That required US company
If we find something isn’t 100 per cent a uniquely wide range of orbital registration and a US base at
perfect then we don’t have ‘go fever’, inclinations – from 39 degrees Huntington Beach, south of Los
which is a common thing in the through sun-synchronous. Angeles.
industry. Rocket Lab has announced it will “Raising venture capital takes a
“The motor controller is part of decide on its first US launch site tremendous amount of skill,” Beck
the electrical system. It’s a hideously before the end of the year. says.
Its launch vehicle is the world’s first “Investors like to see a passionate
fully carbon composite orbital model, entrepreneur so at the end of the day
making it light but strong. it is not really feasible to tell someone
It stands 18 metres tall, is one else to raise the money.
metre in diameter, weighs 10.5 tonnes, “It’s one of those things you accept
its avionics weigh less than 9kg and is part of your job, but I’ve really
it is capable of delivering payloads of enjoyed that part.
150kg to a 500km sun-synchronous “Tier one investors are sharing
orbit. The further away delivery is in very big visions and are well
required the lighter the load and capitalised to execute on it.”
different inclinations, so it would be Beck says the most satisfying part
220kg for a 39 -degree inclination. of the journey has been to use that
The Electron rocket’s 3D-printed, knowledge and contacts to help others
electric pump-fed engines use a to build large companies.
propulsion cycle consisting of two He invested, for instance, in his
brushless direct current electric former Kiwi employee Craig Piggott’s
motors and lithium polymer batteries, Halter invention, a GPS tracking,
unlike the usual gas turbine rocket solar-powered cow collar. It self-
engines that require complicated herds cows and sends data about
hardware and more fuel. cow behaviour and health to farmers,
Its nine motors use liquid saving them time and money.
oxygen and rocket grade kerosene “I am only interested in billion
and generate 18kN (ratio of the dollar opportunities and Craig’s was a
propellant’s burn area to the nozzle really good one. His company is on a
throat area) thrust on the first tremendous trajectory,” Beck says.
stage and one motor on the second Rocket Lab has done several
stage. Each motor nozzle can be capital raisings. Its investors include
individually steered to keep the rocket Khosla Ventures, Bessemer Venture
“I am a driven person but I on trajectory while computers make Partners, DCVC (Data Collective),
am only here a very short instant and minute adjustments to Lockheed Martin, Promus Ventures
time on the planet,” says deliver a satellite to a precise orbit. and New Zealand’s K1W1. It can
Peter Beck, Rocket Lab’s Rocket Lab says one space flight also draw from the New Zealand
41-year-old Kiwi founder. will use less fuel than a 600km flight Government’s Callaghan Innovation
rocket lab on a Boeing 737. funds but Beck says this is less than
Beck says the company is always NZ$10 million.
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