Rutherford

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.'

RKLB Factory Tour: Satellites, Spacecraft & Mission Control

Aug 26, 2026 · 24:50

Sir Peter Beck gives a Rocket Lab factory tour and details how the company grew from under $100,000 New Zealand dollars in startup capital into a vertically integrated space company, arguing spacecraft components are as much a moat as launch. He traces the Electron rocket reaching orbit on under $100 million and 80 people, the 2021 public listing, and three acquisitions made to impose discipline and build a multi-generational company. Beck recounts operating NASA's CAPSTONE lunar mission, his Venus life-detection dream mission, and NASA's LOxSAT liquid-oxygen storage work. He warns most new space entrants underestimate the gap between putting a satellite on orbit and building one that lasts 12 years in harsh radiation.