In a new interview, chief executive Peter Beck said his company can become a “disruptive, nontraditional prime” that could build and deploy entire satellite systems for military clients.
It comes shortly after Rocket Lab announced it would purchase satellite payload provider Geost in a US275 million deal. The agreement gives the New Zealand company access to the same kind of sensor technology used by the US for missile warning systems and space surveillance.
“We want to make sure that we are positioned to be exactly what the U.S. government is asking for… and that is, a new, disruptive prime that can deploy at a cost, in a frequency that hasn’t been achieved yet,” Beck said.
He added that programs like the upcoming ‘Golden Dome’ showed a growing demand for quick and cheap deployments.
“These programs are typically dominated by the large defence primes,” Beck said. “But the way we’ve built these kinds of things in the past won’t work going forward.”
Space Connect first reported in January 2024 how Rocket Lab declared itself a defence prime after agreeing a landmark US$500 million contract with the US Space Force.
The company has blasted off spy satellites co-developed by Australia and the US at its Launch Complex 1 on the east coast of the North Island.
PROMOTED CONTENT
Beck said then that the deal marked the start of a “new era” for the company, which meant it would manufacture defence satellites and oversee the supply chain.
The last year has also seen it announce a host of impressive deals with clients.
This month, for example, it announced it would blast off yet another NASA science mission from its launch complex in New Zealand next year.
The Aspera spacecraft will study the evolution of galaxies and provide new insights into how the universe works.
Weighing 60 kilograms, the satellite will blast off on the launch company’s signature Electron rocket “no earlier” than the first quarter of next year and follows a string of successful collaborations with the space agency.
Aspera joins the list of NASA science missions awarded to Rocket Lab, including the CAPSTONE mission launched to the moon, NASA’s hurricane monitoring TROPICS mission and the agency’s PREFIRE climate change-focused mission studying melting ice caps in the Antarctic.
Designed in California, Electron is 18 metres high, made of carbon composite and powered by 3D-printed engines. It has already deployed more than 200 satellites for a diverse range of customers, including NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office, and the US Space Force.
Adam Thorn
Adam is a journalist who has worked for more than 40 prestigious media brands in the UK and Australia. Since 2005, his varied career has included stints as a reporter, copy editor, feature writer and editor for publications as diverse as Fleet Street newspaper The Sunday Times, fashion bible Jones, media and marketing website Mumbrella as well as lifestyle magazines such as GQ, Woman’s Weekly, Men’s Health and Loaded. He joined Momentum Media in early 2020 and currently writes for Australian Aviation and World of Aviation.
Receive the latest developments and updates on Australia’s space industry direct to your inbox. Subscribe today to Space Connect here.
