Inside Rocket Lab: How Sir Peter Beck Is Building Neutron’s Engines | Tour 02
Aug 28, 2026 · 28:03
Sir Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, gives a tour of its Engine Development Center, where 3D printing makes most of his engines, including the reusable Archimedes for Neutron. He explains why methane was chosen for quick turnaround, how the $100 million Virgin Orbit facility was bought for $16 million, and how a production line can make an Archimedes every eight days. Such engines must survive 40 starts and one hour of burns, while Electron's Rutherford has flown 93 times—the second most launched rocket behind Falcon 9—with over 930 engines sent to space. Beck also emphasizes vertical integration and shares his hot take that 'the biggest thing to be done in space hasn't even been thought about.'
