Peter Beck on his knighthood: 'A huge, humbling honour to get'

Arise, Sir Peter, knight companion of the NZ Order of Merit. (Image: Dean Purcell)

Mon, 03 Jun 2024

Fisher & Paykel Appliances apprentice turned self-taught rocket scientist Peter Beck staged his first serious launch from Great Mercury Island, off the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, in 2009.“Ātea-1” looked like an overgrown firework, and the Rocket Lab founder had to enlist local boaties to help search for it after splash-down. But it reached an altitude of 150km, or 50km above the Karman line that separates Earth from space – a southern hemisphere first for a private company.The youngster’s innovative use...

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