04 Rocket
Lab’sPeter
Beckwith
William
Shatner.satellitetechnology,onethat’s
changingthewayweinteract
witheachother,andalsohow
wemanageourplanet.Werely
onsatellites.Theyconnectus.
Theykeepussafeandtheyhelp
usunderstandandmanagethe
impactwehaveonourplanet.
Theyenableustoinnovateand
toexploreintotheuniverse.”
AccordingtoBeck,thereare
2,600smallsatellitesthatrequire
launchin thenextfewyears,and
Americaonlylaunched 28 rockets
in 2017.“Youcanseethatif you
havegot2,600spacecraftand 28
rockets,youhavegota littlebitof a
problemonyourhands.So,thisis
reallywhatwearetryingtosolve.”
GOFORLAUNCH
Electronlaunchvehiclesundergo
finalassemblyat theAuckland
facility,whichhousesmorethan
200 ofRocketLab’sgrowingteam
of 330 people.There,allpartsgo
througha streamlinedprocessfor
testingandintegrationintothe
rocket,beforelaunchfromRocket
Lab’sprivateorbitallaunchpad,
LaunchComplex1, ontheMáhia
Peninsulain Hawke’sBay,New
Zealand.MissionControlis at the
Aucklandfacility,servinglaunches
bothfromLaunchComplex 1
in MáhiaandRocketLab’sUS
launchsite.Whilelaunchesare
currentlymonthly,theplanis to
scaletoweeklylaunchesbythe
endof2020.
Forherpart,JacindaArdern
notedthattheAucklandRocket
Lablookedlike“thestuffof
films...andthestuffofdreams.”
Shealsoexhibiteda surprising
depthofknowledgeofWilliam
Shatner’soeuvre,sounding
morelikea full-blownfanthan
a primeminster.
“I never,ever,thoughtin my
lifethatI wouldacknowledge
WilliamShatnerat thebeginning
ofa speech,”shesaid.“Peter
gaveyoua greatintrobutactually
leftoffanimportantpartof
yourrésumé.YouralbumHas
Beenfrom 2004 is a revelation,
andparticularlyyourcoverof
“CommonPeople”wasinspired.
I happenedtoplayit in a DJset
at LanewayFestivala coupleof
yearsago!”
R
ocketLabchiefexecutivePeter
Beckwouldn’tcallhimselfa
Trekkie,buthedoes“owna set
ofStarTrekcufflinks.”Ontopof
that,Beckkeepsa setoforiginal
seriesDVDsat work:“Weplaythem
inthelunchroomduringlunch.”
The averageageofRocketLabstaff
being32,Beckfoundthatwithout
thediscs,manyemployeesdidn’t
understandhisinevitableworkplace
referencestoTr e k.
Growingupin Invercargill,New
Zealand,BeckwatchedWilliam
ShatnerandhisStarTrekco-stars’
adventuresfroma youngage.“I
certainlyenjoyedtheoriginalseries,
andthat’stheseriesI grewupwith,”
hetoldStarTrekMagazinefollowing
Shatner’svisit.StarTrekwaspartof the
landscapethatinspiredBeck’sinterestin
space.“I’vealwaysbeenintospace,for
as longas I canremember.The starsand
thenightskyusedtofascinateme.So,
everySaturdaymorning,whenwewere
growingup,therewouldbeStarTrek
on,alongwithHogan’sHeroesandall
thosekindsofprogrammes.
“The thingI loveaboutthe
originalseriesis thatthestory
carriesit.Today,it seemsyouhave
tohavehugespecialeffectstobeabletodrawanaudience.Butfor
me,thestoryandtheactingactually
carriesit.The trueartis there;you
don’tneedallthesespecialeffectsto
engageanaudience.”
Beckthinksit’simportantto
remindtoday’sgenerationofthe
vitalrolespaceplaysinmodernlife.
“StarTrekdida wonderfulserviceto
humanityinthefactthatit inspired
generationsofpeopletothinkof
spaceina differentway.OnethingI
findmyselfdoingsomuchis trying
tomakepeopleunderstandhow
relianttheyareonspace.Peopleget
verywoundupintheirterrestrial
daysandlivesstaringat their
mobiledevices.The wholepointof
humanitystartingthisprojectwasto
getpeopletolookupandlookout
intotheuniverse,andrealizethat
wearejustoneinsignificantspecies
floatingona rockina giantuniverse.
“StarTrekplayeda really
importantroleinmakingspace
mainstream,makingtheexploration
oftheuniversemainstream,and
althoughthestoriesweresometimes
fancifulandsometimesdownright
weird,at leasttheywereexploring
thepotentialoftheuniverse.I think
that’smissingintoday’sculture.”SPACE... THE
FINAL FRONTIER
04REPORT