Rocket Lab’s Peter Beck: Funding Space Programs Could Aid Small Launch Sector

Peter Beck, founder and CEO of small satellite launch firm Rocket Lab, said the Department of Defense and other agencies could help the small launch sector by funding space programs that will drive demand for launch services, SpaceNews reported Monday.

“If the government invests in a program, the program creates spacecraft, that spacecraft needs a launch, that supply chain is stimulated all the way down,” Beck said.

Fred Kennedy, a vice president at small launch vehicle startup Astra, said customers, competitive pricing and other factors would help determine how many companies will survive in the small launch sector.

“I do believe that what’s going to dictate how many can play is whether we are sufficiently price competitive and whether or not we can address the issue of time to market,” he said.

Kennedy called on the federal government to decide if it wants to back a new space sector "if they think that there’s a unique value to it." He also shared insights on integrated satellite and launch services.