**Insider**: [[Peter Beck]] **Source**: [In the Driver's Seat with Greg Murpy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFsmgFyymGo) **Date**: September 30 2025  ## Transcript ### Introduction and Sponsor (0:00) **Interviewer (Greg Murphy):** Hi, and welcome to **In the Driver's Seat** with me, Greg Murphy, or Murf. I'm catching up with some of Aroha's most interesting characters to find out what gets their engines going. There's a bit of motoring, there's plenty of great stories, and a few laughs along the way. First and foremost, a big thanks to my sponsor for the podcast, **AutoSense**. They are providers of fleet and driver safety solutions, helping to make our roads safer. Check them out at autosense.co.nz. Now, when it comes to bold ambition, innovation, and putting New Zealand on the global map, they don't come much bigger than my guest today. **Interviewer:** You'll know him as the founder and CEO of **Rocket Lab**, a bloke who grew up tinkering in his garage and went on to launch rockets into space. Not many people get to say that. **Sir Peter Beck** has redefined what's possible for a small nation at the bottom of the world, from **Invercargill** to orbit. His story is one of vision, risk-taking, and a relentless drive to shoot for the stars. **Peter Beck:** Every single person at least once a year should take a blanket on a nice clear starry night, drive out to the countryside, pull up a chair, lie on the grass, and just look at the stars for an hour. And, um, you know, I don't I don't have met anybody who just stares there and go, "Well, this is boring." Eventually, everyone starts pondering their own place in the universe. I think it's a healthy thing to do. **Interviewer:** Yeah. In this episode, we explore how a self-taught engineer built one of the world's most respected aerospace companies. But first, let's go and see what kind of driver he is. Let's go for a spin. --- ### Going for a Spin in the Delorean (1:40) **Interviewer:** Well, this is um... don't be prepared to be impressed because it it uh it does one thing good. **Peter Beck:** It does one thing good. Yeah. **Interviewer:** Does it actually do one thing good? One thing: it looks good. **Peter Beck:** Okay. **Interviewer:** Classic. So, obviously, first and foremost, the **Delorean** story. How, why, when did it become a possession? I've never been in one. This is my first one. **Peter Beck:** My favorite movie as a kid was **Back to the Future**. **Interviewer:** Yeah, it's a pretty good... that's a pretty good choice. As far as cool cars go, it's it's right up there. You know, I thought, you know, Rocket Man would have his flux capacitor again. We'd be bloody, you know, going back in time. **Peter Beck:** I think **88 mph** was over optimistic, 'cuz this thing could not do 88 mph. **Interviewer:** Is that right? **Peter Beck:** No. No. **Interviewer:** How funny. So, um, how long you had it? **Peter Beck:** Oh, I've had it for years. Oh, really? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And it lives up here in Oakland somewhere? Yeah. Yeah. **Interviewer:** What kind of usage then does it get? **Peter Beck:** Very little. Very little. **Interviewer:** Oh, I feel very privileged. It's one of those things. It's a cross between art and engineering. **Peter Beck:** Isn't it just more art than engineering, to be fair? **Interviewer:** I probably shouldn't be surprised really that you're a *Back to the Future* fan. Really, should we? I know that you're, you know, you like driving. Um, but is, and has that been, but has that been something that you've always always been interested in as well? I mean, another interest of yours. **Peter Beck:** Well, I've always liked, you know, speed and go fast and horsepower and all those sorts of things. So, my first car was a Mini, but I turbocharged it. **Interviewer:** Like what year Mini? **Peter Beck:** A 19... It was a **Mini 1000, 1970**. Yeah. It was a proper Mini. **Interviewer:** Proper. Yeah. Yeah. And you turbocharged it. **Peter Beck:** Turbocharged it. **Interviewer:** What was the turbo off? **Peter Beck:** It was an IHI RHB5 off a Zuzu truck or something. **Interviewer:** Is that right? Oh man. That um, so that that from its probably what, 30 horsepower? **Peter Beck:** 120. It made it. Got it got up to 120, and it would last about three hours before it have to rebuild the engine. **Interviewer:** That is fantastic. **Peter Beck:** Do bearings in the gearbox. Just eat the bearings. **Interviewer:** Oh my goodness. That is classic. Where did you get this from, by the way? The Delorean. **Peter Beck:** I got this from Hamilton. So, a guy had two of them and um, it was it was he was just getting rid of both of them. And it's a bit of a funny story because I rang him up and I said, "Oh, quite like that Delorean. Um, can you wait? You know, can I come and have a look at it next week?" And he goes, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yep." And then he rang me back a couple of days later and said, "Oh, this gentleman has offered me, uh, he's just going to buy it." And I said, "Oh, can I can I put a deposit on it so so the buyer can have a look at it?" And he goes, "Oh, maybe." Um, and then then he rang back and he said, "Oh, no. This guy he's just going to give me the money the money for it." And I said, "Okay, uh, well, how about um, I'll buy it from you right now. So I don't see." And he goes, "Oh, no, no. I've committed to this guy." And I said, "Okay, well, how about we put a little bit of a premium on it?" And by this time I completely talked myself into I just have to just have to own this. So, um, so I ended up... he I bet he couldn't believe his luck. His his car had been advertised on like Trade Me for months and nobody nobody had shown any interest. So the gentleman took the older one. Um, and this was the better condition one. So I was able to get this. It's completely original. Yeah. **Interviewer:** But it's actually in pretty good nick. **Peter Beck:** It's It's extremely good, Nick. And And And I've even got the car the original car dealerships card um from when it was originally bought in America. And I've got the the manual that's signed by **John DeLorean** himself. **Interviewer:** That's fantastic. How many do you reckon are in New Zealand? **Peter Beck:** Somebody told me there was about nine of them, I think, in New Zealand. Yeah. **Interviewer:** Right. Who who um who taught you to drive back in the uh back in the day? **Peter Beck:** So there's a there's a big family tradition. So it was in a little **Suzuki Jeep**. Yeah. Uh in the **Arrowtown River**. So just you know there's that you know Arrowtown River. Yeah. So up and down the roads there. And so both our kids learned to drive in a in an actual Jeep. Yeah. Um in that same place. Is that right? Yeah. So, that's that's where I first learned to drive. **Interviewer:** That's a great environment to uh to learn some skills pretty fast, I reckon. Have you had any bloody close calls on on our roads driving cars? **Peter Beck:** Oh, yeah. The worst crash I ever had was a a **head-on**. **Interviewer:** Oh, you've had a head-on? **Peter Beck:** Yeah. It was a little bit unfortunate though because um, uh, we were out in my friend's **Ford Escort** in the back roads of Pebbley Hills and we'd constructed a great set of pace notes and uh forestry roads and we're out there out there pretending to be rally drivers and we came over the brow of a hill and there was uh another couple of guys doing exactly the same thing. **Interviewer:** Oh, you're joking. And it was a it was a good... And what were the vehicles in it? **Peter Beck:** So, we were in Ford Escort. **Interviewer:** Of course you were. **Peter Beck:** And they were they were in like a a big old Mitsubishi kind of Galant kind of thing. Yeah. Um needless to say, that car came off way better than we did. Um holy... **Interviewer:** What kind of bloody speed do you reckon you uh ended up hitting each other at? **Peter Beck:** Uh it was pretty decent. Like both the cars were very written off and and you know we went to hospital for a checkup and I had this big rash in the seat belt for me. **Interviewer:** What was your what was the kind of safety kind of um thinking had been put into this uh rally driving? **Peter Beck:** Well, we're all we're all strapped in. I mean, we didn't have helmets on. We didn't think that fast and bad here, but we had race not pace notes and all the rest of it. So, we weren't going to we weren't going to come around the corner and not know what was going on. But except for the car... **Interviewer:** Except for the car in the brow of the hill. Bloody hell. How old were you even at? **Peter Beck:** 16. **Interviewer:** Wow. **Peter Beck:** Yeah. But I mean, you know, it's this is this is the, you know, it's a challenge, right, of kids. Yeah, it is. And it was a Ford Escort, so we probably weren't going that fast, but you can imagine like a turboed up something now. Yeah. **Interviewer:** But you, you know, you don't need to be going fast relative to the uh to the vehicle's construction, right? On a MK2 Escort, I mean, there was there was no safety thought into those cars effectively. **Peter Beck:** No. Well, the rear wheel tire ended up embedded in the front windscreen, 'cuz it came out of the out of the spare well, went through the back seat, and ended up in the front windscreen. **Interviewer:** You're kidding. **Peter Beck:** Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And somehow just decided to go between the two of... **Interviewer:** Between the two seats. Yeah. There's a there's a lesson for making sure that your uh restrain your stuff your stuff in the back seat and in the back of the car is restrained. Wow. That was I think the the seat is just a seat there. I don't think there's much structure. **Peter Beck:** No, there's nothing really holding it in place. Just opened up. Yeah. **Interviewer:** What an experience. All right, we've arrived back. Thanks for the drive. Um, I appreciate you taking pulling this out of the shed, mate. **Peter Beck:** No, no, it's good. Gives you an excuse, I hope. **Interviewer:** Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. We'll head into the studio and continue the chat. But that was um that was very special. I appreciate it. **Peter Beck:** My pleasure. Now I've got to get out. There we go. --- ### Early Life, Engineering, and Rocket Lab's Culture (9:57) **Interviewer:** Hey, uh Pete, thanks for the drive. Um it is that's my first Delorean uh experience. How was it? **Peter Beck:** I feel I feel privileged. I I don't know if I'm in awe. **Interviewer:** No, I don't think I'm in awe. It's It's... **Peter Beck:** You're in awe from the outside but not the inside. That's correct. Yeah. What is it? Is it a Renault V6? **Peter Beck:** Renault. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. **Interviewer:** I'm glad you haven't touched it, but have you ever been tempted to, um, bolt a turbo of an Isuzu truck on it? **Peter Beck:** No. No. Yeah. **Interviewer:** Excellent. Um, right. Uh, you probably don't like talking about all this stuff, but um, give us give us a rundown on um, earliest memories of uh, you know, your growing up in **Invercargill**. **Peter Beck:** Well, um, earliest memory of Invercargill, it's hard to say. Um, you know is is like like any any kind of kid in a small town. I think it's probably you know the school years. I think going to school was probably the earliest memory I can remember 'cuz it's kind of the first big thing you do right as a as a as a as a new human as you go to school. So but I mean I I have very fond memories of Invercargill and going back. Um it's very sleepy and and safe and and all those things. **Interviewer:** Was um **Bert Munro** was he at all in your you know growing up? Did did the legend of that or anything? **Peter Beck:** Funny story because Bert Munro used to use Beck Motor's workshop and my father used to my grandfather used to chase him out with a broom because he would come in there unannounced and use my use my grandfather's lathe. Make a heck of a mess and then uh and then bugger off. So anytime Bert turned up to the Beck Motors workshop, my grandfather used to get out and chase him off the site. Is that right? Yeah. **Interviewer:** When was the first uh sort of interest in in the whole rocket thing? **Peter Beck:** Well, I mean space for me it was it was your very young memory is my, you know, we're outside um and looking at the stars and my my father pointed to the stars and said, you know, those are all suns and they could have planets on them and there could be somebody staring back at you. And that was the first moment that it was kind of like, wow, this is this is much bigger than, you know, than just me. So that that was that was really what what started the whole interest in space was was that. And it's it's funny. It's like the inverse of the **overview effect**. So when astronauts go into into space and, you know, they see the Earth from space for the first time, they, you know, it's called the overview effect where they look down at the Earth and go, "Oh, how small is that? Wow, this is pretty insignificant." It was kind of like that for me, but the inverse looking up. **Interviewer:** So um did your dad have a um a fascination? **Peter Beck:** Yeah. Well, he was he he built built um Invercargill's um teles- first telescope that used to be at the museum there. So uh so so yeah, you know, we would as kids we would be helping out at the observatory and and whatnot. So that's amazing. **Peter Beck:** I I would I would say that every single person at least once a year should take a blanket on a nice clear starry night, drive out to the countryside, pull up a chair, lie on the grass, and just look at the stars for for an hour. And, you know, I don't... just go this boring... eventually starts pondering their own place in the universe. I think it's a healthy thing to do. **Interviewer:** Yeah. And then you see a satellite fly over. Yeah. Yeah. Go **Rocket Lab** again. Yeah. How did that bloody get there? Well, I know how it got there. There's this bloke Peter Beck. Do you have any pinch me moments about just just how this is turned into what it's turned into? **Peter Beck:** Oh, really? A lot of people ask that, but no, because I feel like I'm about maybe a little over third halfway done. So there's a lot more to go yet and it's just a it's just a constant sprint. **Interviewer:** Yeah. And but the just the way it's scaling and and um and stuff. I mean, you obviously just you know knew once this got going and and obviously there's other other people doing similar things or working in the same industry. Um you just you saw the scale the scope of it just being almost, well, not endless but I suppose just there was just so much that needed and could be done. **Peter Beck:** Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we we're trying to build the **biggest space company in the world**. Wow. And um so, you know, you've got to got to put your shoulder down and and and work super hard. I mean, um if you look at our two competitors, they're the two wealthiest people on the planet. So, you're not going to outspend them to get there. So, you have to outwork them. **Interviewer:** Yeah. And that's what you do. Yep. It's an incred... I mean, I I've had the pleasure and and it was it was absolutely mindblowing to have a tour through um the the factories here in in in **Mount Wellington**. I mean it it... I don't know how you could I could put it into actually into context to someone, you know, because of the the intricacy and the you know, and I I love engineering myself. I'm not I'm not an engineer but I I enjoy understanding and seeing and the manufacturing and just why that's got to be there and why that's there and why that's there and why that's there um all the way through it. It it it is just a an incredible place and um you know seeing seeing you know craftsmen and doing the work. Because the the beauty of those of their engineering is is that something that you really, you you would, I'm sure I know the answer to this, but you know seeing those things manufactured and built and come to life, um the buzz must be enormous for you. **Peter Beck:** Yeah. Yeah. I mean um, you know, we we there is a tremendous focus on **building beautiful things** um and uh you can you can build, you know, you can build anything two different ways, right? You can build something that that is functional and looks ugly, and you can build something that's functional looks beautiful, and there's just **no tolerance for ugly functional things at Rocket Lab** whether it's a spreadsheet or a rocket or a satellite or you name it. Everything is everything is is beautifully finished, beautifully anodized or, you know, no matter what. It everything has it just perfection in where it falls. **Interviewer:** Perfection everywhere. **Peter Beck:** Yep. And and and like there is **no pit stop on the road to orbit**. It's 100% or it's international news. Yeah. So you you know there is and this is where I think, you know, some of our uh competitors have have gone wrong is is is they, you know, focusing on international news. Well, no, no, no, taking shortcuts and and not doing it right. Um, and um, you know, there's there's been a lot of failure in the space industry and it's it's when people are trying to cut corners. **Interviewer:** I just again, you know, you... I would say a lot of people, you know, they go, "Oh, what do you do? I'm Rocket Lab." You know, there would be a surprise overseas in many respects. Is there that that um, you know, the foundations and and how much is done in New Zealand? Are people surprised by the fact that it's little old New Zealand's doing this? **Peter Beck:** Uh not within the industry. Not I mean not within the industry because it's it's it's just, you know, it's been it's just come along that way and it's and it's about clever people no matter where they are. **Interviewer:** So what what are um I mean when people ask again they don't know who you are or whatever and you say, you know, Rocket Lab founder, Rocket Lab or whatever. **Peter Beck:** No, I just say I'm an engineer. **Interviewer:** Is that what you stay away from? **Peter Beck:** Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm just an engineer. Yeah. Just plain and simple. Yeah. Yeah. That that should be on my tombstone: Engineer. That's that's what I want. **Interviewer:** That's awesome. Um it must be it every time, you know, that Rocket Lab sends something to orbit, what's your nerves? Anxiousness? **Peter Beck:** I hate it. Absolutely hate it. Yeah. Yeah. It's a high stakes game. I mean, um, you know, we've had a lot of success and and flown a lot, but um the reality is that generally every time you're flying something either it's it's a company's, uh, you know, um, you know, a company can't afford to lose what you you're putting in orbit. And more often than not, um, the success of that that company is is in your hands. So if you go and put it in the ocean, um, you know, some companies will just not recover from that. So it's a tremendous responsibility. And then um, uh, you know, uh, especially the national security work we do as well, like that people's lives are often at stake in that stuff. So, you know, you you really it it's a high stakes game. You can't you just cannot screw it up. **Interviewer:** Do you um are you present for everyone or are you watch everyone no matter? **Peter Beck:** Never miss a launch? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Always watch everyone. I mean, uh, as much as I've tried to to miss one once, um, it's it's just totally bizarre. **Interviewer:** Can't bring yourself. **Peter Beck:** No. Well, I there'll be a 3:00 a.m. um launch and I will not set my alarm and I'll go, "Right, I'm going to go to bed and see if I can sleep through this thing." And you can't. No. And it it'll be like 2:50 and I'm I'm wide awake. It's just like there's some hard code in there that just doesn't let me... Yeah. I mean, the reality is I've been tossing and turning all night so I wasn't really asleep anyway. **Interviewer:** Um what's the count now? Amount of uh? **Peter Beck:** 66 going on 67. Yeah. Wow. There's one tomorrow and then another couple of days later. **Interviewer:** Is there really one tomorrow out of out of **Mahia**? **Peter Beck:** Yep. Yeah. Yep. What time? **Peter Beck:** Uh 7:00 7:00 p.m. Right. Yeah. Tomorrow night. Yeah. **Interviewer:** Oh, wow. Okay. I'm if I'm at home in Hawks Bay, I'm going to be um looking over. **Peter Beck:** You probably see it. Yeah. Yeah. I better go at Tomato Peak tomorrow then. Yep. **Interviewer:** Put that in my... Thank you. So, you won't... no one will know. It would have happened by the time listen to this. But there you go. 7 p.m. tomorrow. Right up. Good stuff. I hope it's a clear night. Is it supposed to be? **Peter Beck:** Uh we've been battling with weather. That was supposed to go a couple of days ago, the weekend, but we're just battling with weather at the moment. **Interviewer:** So, hopefully all these things that play are such a big part of it. Um, so, uh, out of, well, if you want to answer, out of that 66, how many haven't done what they're supposed to? **Peter Beck:** Well, there's a test flight one, which, um, I absolved **Rocket Lab** from because it was nothing to do with us. Um, uh, on flight one, and then uh, there's been another three along the way. Yeah. **Interviewer:** Is that is that a good statistic? **Peter Beck:** 9... I think we're **93% success rate**. Yeah. Yeah, that's good. Yeah. **Interviewer:** Competitors. **Peter Beck:** Well, we really in in in the small launch scale, we really don't have any. Um there was there was 140 small launch companies at one stage that we were tracking. Um 140 in various forms of funding or development. Um but um so there's been a lot of a lot of uh lot of failure there. Um so in the small launch there's really no competitor. Um uh and obviously we're building a big rocket now to compete with um you know the medium class lift. **Interviewer:** Yeah, that's that's a that's a much much bigger. And what's the what's your um expectation on timeline for testing one of them? **Peter Beck:** Yeah. Well, we're trying to get one done this year. So, we're working really hard to get one done this year. **Interviewer:** And is is that um mainly being done here in New Zealand as well? **Peter Beck:** No, it's it's I mean, it's a big vehicle. It's like, you know, **Electron** rocket lifts 320 kgs. Uh **Neutron** lifts 13,000 kgs. So, it's it's a much much bigger rocket. **Interviewer:** That is a much much bigger rocket. **Peter Beck:** Much much bigger. Yeah. Um, and so what part where does that get launched from? **Peter Beck:** What about our launch site in **Wallops Island, Virginia**? Yeah. **Interviewer:** Right. Yeah, that will be a special that will be... **Peter Beck:** You'll be pretty anxious on that one. Yeah. Well, it's a big day, but I mean flight one is is is kind of, you know, you just want to get that one done and figure out what you've got. Um, actually, it's it's harder to do flight three and five because at that point you're in some level of serial production and, you know, that's just way harder than just putting one on the pad. **Interviewer:** Yeah. Far out. You got any um interest in going to space yourself? **Peter Beck:** No. **Interviewer:** Really? **Peter Beck:** Absolutely none. Yeah. No. No. I I have, uh, I know the all of the all of the engineering too well. I know the safety factors in every component. So, I have immense... **Interviewer:** You've taken way too much notice. **Peter Beck:** Yeah. I have immense respect for an astronaut who can uh and it's probably much like your line of work, right? Where you can just tune out the risk. Yeah. Like um you know an astronaut climbs on a vehicle and he knows that, you know, this there's there's tremendous amount of energy, you know, at your feet and and it's got to be it's got to be one of the most I can't even I can't even put it into yeah think but that's it's got to be one of the most crazy stupidest ideas, you know, to have to be sitting at the top of a a rocket with tons and tons of tons of the most highly flammable bloody materials underneath your ass. Yep. It's got to be just and just turn it off and perform. **Interviewer:** But it's no different to you. I mean, I mean, there's there's plenty of times you're scooting up towards the wall that you have, you know, I I bet you're not thinking about, "Oh, I'm not going to crash here." It's just... **Peter Beck:** No, you're not. No, you know, but I... Yeah, I think my risk level's a little bit little bit less to be honest. I can't I don't think I can blow up, you know, in a giant fireball. **Peter Beck:** Well, well, you know, you know, I don't think considering considering how many race cars um race on a any given day, I think I think our risk factor is a little bit different. But it Yeah, it's it's crazy. Absolutely insane really to think about. But I mean, you're relying on everybody else's engineering. Like, if somebody's not hasn't hasn't put your vehicle together, right, and you go and step on the brakes and there's nothing there, then that's that's a real problem. **Interviewer:** Yeah. That Yeah. Oh, that's interesting. Yeah. You you're too much of an engineer to go now. We'll give that give that little job to someone else to to fly up there and do that. Yeah. Um there's questions down here. I I don't know what you're going to say to this one, so I might as well ask it. Um the moon landing, real or fake? **Peter Beck:** Well, it's definitely real. **Interviewer:** How many times have you been asked that? **Peter Beck:** Oh, plenty. **Interviewer:** Oh, you have? **Peter Beck:** Yeah. Yeah. All as I say to anybody is is just go to Kennedy Space Center and look at a **Saturn 5** sitting in a sitting in the hanger. And then I think I don't... it's at that point it's pretty hard to to disagree. **Interviewer:** Right. And of course there's also images of it sitting on the moon. So you know it's pretty well... there you go. I think I think that's um for me that's uh uh someone who I would trust over plenty of other things saying that one. Um how many how many naysayers along the way? Are they constant? Do they keep coming that you can't do something that you can't do these things? **Peter Beck:** I don't even remember. Just you filter that kind of stuff out. Locked out. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, yeah. Know, I'm sure there's been been plenty. But um but you know, it's it's like anything. You have a goal and and a belief and um you know, sometimes your belief is unfounded, but you still give it a crack. **Interviewer:** You I mean I I as I said when I went to the the facility um last year um just the the the people in there, the, you know, that you've got... I mean, obviously that's everything right? Having having those that are as as passionate about doing this as what you are. And it was it was just awesome to, you know, you get the vibe inside the building of this energy in there, which is, you know, pardon the pun, but the energy in there of of those that are contributing to to these things. It was it was quite electric really. It was it that must be I mean that's that's a culture that obviously there's just no no other way around it. You've got to have have that kind of thing. But do you still feel that when you go in? Do you? **Peter Beck:** Uh yeah. Yeah. No. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. And and um, you know, uh, I love it. I love it when there's like this big big kind of challenges or big projects on because you you know you you you get amongst it and and um it's exactly that. I mean that's part of the the magic of the place. It's it's like um, you know, nothing's impossible. And you know, when stuff inevitably goes wrong from time to time. Uh some companies have a culture of of um, well, start fingerpointing and it's not my fault and it's someone else screwed up or what. And we've been very very clear that, you know, to stamp that kind of stuff out. It's it's it's like when there something really bad happens, then yeah, I mean people get held accountable, but at the end of the day everyone just focuses on fixing it and that's kind of the magic of the place. **Interviewer:** It is. It's it's it's something quite incredible that I mean the secrets involved and the protection, you know, I, you know, it was amazing talking to your guys just about the fact that, you know, there's there is so many people that want to to know what you're doing and how you do it. Um that that was I hadn't even considered that until I was in, you know, in there and talking to them, you know, the the amount of protection that you've got to put on in and out of information um that's happening because there's there's people wanting to know and willing to willing to spy and do probably whatever they they have to. **Peter Beck:** Yeah. I mean, uh, we there's a there's a there's a, like you say, there's a magic there and and, you know, our vehicles and our engineering is is decidedly different from, um, most other people's. Um, you know, we have all **carbon rockets** and we're the first in the world to do that. And and we're the first to put like **3D printed rocket engines** in orbit and all these kinds of things. So, um, and, you know, maybe it's it's the kind of the New Zealand thing where, you know, nobody's afraid to just just give it a crack. So there are a lot of technologies there that that only we do and and some, yeah. Like you say, some pretty pretty secret sources. **Interviewer:** Yeah. Um I don't know if if this is a secret source or not. And if it is, we'll we'll get this cut out. But I it made me it just sort of made me laugh, you know. Um, we, you know, just looking at all this incredible, you know, manufacturing and and design and and these clever clever clever things. And then, um, some uh used for some of the release mechanisms. Um, **SodaStream bottles**. **Peter Beck:** Yeah. Well, it's not a release mechanism. It's a arc suppression system. Yeah. It's crazy. Yeah. Well, no, I mean, but this is sort of the magic, right? Is that, uh, um, you know, the normal solution for that would be a bespoke part number that, you know, the bottle would would be $30,000 $799, right? With a SodaStream bottle and it's a $\text{CO}_2$ pressure vessel rated everything you needed to do. And and we use it for AR suppression. Yeah. **Interviewer:** It's just I I just I just stood there and bloody um tried to Yeah. There was... Why not? I mean, it's done. Yeah. And it works perfectly. And Yeah. So, you must So, you're the reason that my SodaStream bottles have gone up in price. **Peter Beck:** Yeah. Could be. Yeah. We don't use that many. **Interviewer:** Sending them all to space. Yeah. I just thought that was that's brilliant, right? Just again thinking outside or thinking efficiently. **Peter Beck:** Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, like I say, the normal approach would have would have been to just redesign a whole design. Yeah. We would have had a bespoke part number from some space company or aerospace corporation, and it would take months and months of development, testing, and Yeah. I mean, you know, it'd be a $30, $40,000 part. --- ### Public Company, Future of Exploration, and Personal Goals (28:11) **Interviewer:** You know, you've obviously to grow the business, and you've brought in other people and and, you know, the the company is is a **public company** and the likes. Um, uh, that that's all just part of being of having to and get to where you wanted to be. You just got to have... I mean, it's I mean tens upon tens of hundreds of millions of dollars to be able to keep doing these things. **Peter Beck:** Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean the um like a public company is is a nice thing for two reasons. One, um, you know the whole the whole point of this is to have impact, and you have impact by doing something small over a long period of time or something really really big once. And um I think you have more impact by doing something kind of small to medium over a very very long period of time. So, uh, by taking a company public, it means that, you know, when when when someone drags me out because I'm no good anymore. Yeah. Then, um, you know, the company doesn't die. It carries on. And that can't be said for, you know, a couple of my competitors when they leave their their their companies, what happens to them. And I never wanted **Rocket Lab** to be like that. So, by by kind of taking a company public, you're forced to to, you know, build this entity that is sustaining well well after you. Yeah. And you have to, and in order for that to sustain, it has to be profitable. So if you look at the space industry, there's a tremendous number of companies that do cool stuff, but they they kind of do cool stuff for a short period of time, run out of money and die. So um you know, as a public company, there's intense scrutiny on on being profitable and um you know, creating value, which uh you know, half of my brain is kind of hardwired as an entrepreneur and the other half is is kind of an engineer with a with a you know, a businessman in the middle. And um so that this kind of it kind of suits me, you know, suits me well. And um, you know, building this this, you know, enduring space company is how we have the most amount of impact for the longest period of time. **Interviewer:** Um how long have we been public now? **Peter Beck:** I went public in '21. **Interviewer:** '21. She not that long. Yeah. So what's what's this whole thing around then? What's the reality of of uh relocating to another, you know, to **Mars** and all this kind of stuff? **Peter Beck:** Well, I think I think I think humans are explorers. So, you know, from from the the first cave to continent to, you know, you conquering the seas and the oceans and then the air and like it is it is just hard code that humans will go and explore. So, I have absolutely no doubt that there'll be a **human footprint on the surface of Mars** at some point in time. Hopefully, it's in my lifetime. Um, but that that will absolutely happen for sure. Really? Yep. Now, whether it's going to be a terraformed planet and civiliz[ed], who knows? Yeah, sure. But, um, yeah, but there will absolutely be a footprint. **Interviewer:** Is that is that coming? Is that also then somehow um finding a way to, you know, the stresses on a on a human body in orbit for so long? **Peter Beck:** We studied this a lot and and the fundamental issue is this sack of fluid. Like it's it is **not well adapted** for anything other than this. Yeah. So I think the way humid... it's just insane even when you think about that. Yeah. It's just way too sensitive. Yeah, the way the way you proliferate proliferate human consciousness through our solar system and through the universe I believe will be **solid state** um like **microchip**. And I think that's that's kind of, you know, the evolution of **AI**. I think that's ultimately where it ends up because, uh, it's just not practical. You know, you think about it, the the the human lifespan is completely out of step with everything that's around us. Like we last for 80 years, we're only good for like 30 of it, right? Of that 80. Um really productive. Um but say we last 80 years, um, everything around you lasts way more than 80 years. Like this desk will last more than 80 years. This desk will last, you know, in the right environment, thousand [years]. All these things that that everything else in the universe has a time function or a time constant that is really really long and the human life span is just so short. So if you think about you want to go and visit **Alpha Centauri**, it's it's I think it's like four light years or something away. Um, you know, if if you're traveling not at the speed of light, but it might take you a thousand years to get there. A thousand years for this table or a rock is nothing. It's a blink, but a thousand years for a human is just is just total waste of time. So the only way that you, I think, you can travel through the universe and populate consciousness through the universe is actually in a solid state where where the time, you know, constant is is irrelevant. Like, you know, a chip could be around for 10,000 years, who cares? You know, it's it's so if you got to travel, you know, a thousand years, it's 10% of its life around. **Interviewer:** Okay. My mind's sort of half blown. Yeah, but yeah, that's crazy. So unfortunately these things are just hopeless. **Peter Beck:** Yeah, they are. Yeah, they're they really have a certain use, don't they? **Interviewer:** Yeah. What is now success for you? Um, you know, moving forward? I mean, you've you okay, built this this incredible company and it's it's doing these amazing things. Um, so from when you first started, what is it now? **Peter Beck:** It's always been the same thing. I mean, my my parents told me don't don't care what you do in life. Um the measure of success is how much **impact** you've had when you die. That's it. Yeah. So um you know the idea here is is, you know, there's a cool thing about space is that you can put a little box of electronics in orbit and influence and affect thousands if not millions of people's lives, you know, whether it's weather, earth observation, communications, you name it. So space gives you that ability to have massive impact, you know, positive impact to lots and lots of people. So at the end of the day, you know, that that'll be the the the measure of the man is is how much how much impact did you have and and you know, that's like we were saying before, it's why it's so important that Rocket Lab is successful for generations and generations. **Interviewer:** Do you do you think um how will you separate yourself at some stage? Will you will you be able to? Like, will you get to a point? Uh have you, you know, at some stage that you'll go, "Right, I've contributed. I've done done my part," and you will step aside to do to actually spend more time doing other things. Will you be able to do that? **Peter Beck:** Who knows? I mean, I have no idea. I mean, I think if if I was making mistakes or not having impact, I would hope that either I would recognize that or somebody would tell me and give me the kick. Um, so that's really what it comes down to. Yeah. I mean, I'm I'm I'm lucky that uh yep. It's it's all consuming, but um, you know, I I enjoy my job way more than I hate it. Yeah. So um as long as that's the case, then why would you not do it? **Interviewer:** That's a little bit like I suppose a a race car driver getting to a point where, you know, um, all of a sudden they're not, you know, doing the fastest lap and they start to look at more information to go, "What the hell's happened? Why why am I not able to do that? Why am I not able to to be that one tenth faster here than than that my um 30 young year younger teammate or 20 year younger teammate?" And um and start to recognize that's the time. You got a **knighthood**. Um, I would imagine that probably came out of left field for you in some respects. **Peter Beck:** Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Yes. Very much so. Yeah. **Interviewer:** Um what did everyone think about that? **Peter Beck:** Uh well I mean so the way I look at that is is it's it's it really is not a personal thing because it's it's like a um, you know, it's the village is is always, you know, creates the, you know, the child as they say. And and um you know, I see that one as is for all the entrepreneurs and engineers in in in New Zealand and and, you know, what they can, you know, if if if you if you go and be a good engineer and, you know, do some stuff that matters, then then, you know, you get recognized. And I think that was that was that was really what I took of it. **Interviewer:** And um, yeah, something you're very proud of though. **Peter Beck:** Yeah. I mean, there's a he's a huge huge honor and and sometimes you don't you don't realize it. You know, you'll be somewhere and and and, uh, you know, you like, "Oh, that's me. What's I better tuck my shirt in here." **Interviewer:** This is quite a it's a quite a it's a typical um the world is a Play story. Um, two years ago coming up this month. Two years ago this month, um, my family and I, uh, were doing a little um tour. Just we arrived we arrived in **London** that day London that day and so we went for a walk around um around London and we turned up in front of **Buckingham Palace** and we're like, "Oh, look at this. This is amazing." And I look over and I and then I double take and I think you did exactly the same thing. And there you were standing there with your family in front of Buckingham Palace and you'd um so this is two years ago. You hadn't you hadn't obviously had the the knighthood at that stage, but um you'd just been in to see um uh **King Charles** um because of his interest in in um space and all that kind of thing, too. And you I mean that was that was quite... **Peter Beck:** Yeah. Very timely. Yeah. No, it was it was it was the oddest thing ever actually. Yeah, it was great to be able to actually spend that time 'cuz we, you know, we, uh, um, I didn't I obviously knew that you you like cars and bits and pieces and things, but um, you know, it was it was great to be able to go go to **McLaren**. Yeah, that was awesome. Um, it was either the next day or the day after, I think it was that we went and did that and and go through, uh, you know, a facility um doing pretty amazing things. Yeah, it was incredible. Um, uh, and also, you know, obviously because of the connection as well that I'm sure you share with um obviously the founder founding of that and and and be there and and see that you've you know you've got a great love of cars and things. And and um we were talking before we we started this, you know, you were racing on the weekend and something that you and the whole family are really getting into and and must be just a great um a way to separate and do something that you obviously love and it's connection. But but turn off from having to think about um flying rockets. **Peter Beck:** Absolutely. Completely immersed in that bubble for that time. Yep. **Interviewer:** Yeah. No, it was awesome. And that's something in the in the future that you'd like to do a fair bit more of like the racing side. **Peter Beck:** Um, yeah. I mean, look, I'm not I'm not going to make a career. I'm just not that good. Um, but... **Interviewer:** Well, you've made a pretty you've you've already busy doing other things, too. **Peter Beck:** Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But I mean, um, you know, uh, I think I think you well, you know, you you have you have to have that that that ability to to probably take a bigger risk than then, you know, you would that that's always my problem. You know, come steaming up to a corner and I and I over break. Yeah. Then then, you know, whereas I just need to lift my foot off the off the brake and just roll on in. So I don't know, maybe it'll come with time, but but yeah. --- ### AutoSense & Driving Safety Questions (40:05) **Interviewer:** Right, we've got some questions for you now related that's a little bit more in line with um what our sponsor **AutoSense** does. So, we'll uh I'm going to throw those at you. Okay. Our mates at AutoSense are all about keeping Kiwi safer behind the wheel um and you understand that. Uh so, before we finish up, yeah, I want to throw a few things at you. So, it's time to strap in Peter Beck. Can you handle being in the driver's seat? Have you ever been pulled over by a cop? **Peter Beck:** Of course. **Interviewer:** And have you used the "I build rockets"? **Peter Beck:** No. **Interviewer:** No. When was the last time? **Peter Beck:** Oh, I really don't want to say. I think that's way too embarrassing. **Interviewer:** Relatively recently. Well, if it makes you feel any better. Um, I recently did, too. Right. Yeah. The road safety advocate. Good. Yeah. Yeah. So, I don't really have an excuse, um, yeah, it was late at night and and um I was um not considering one sitting on the side of the road where he was. Anyway, how how far over were you? **Peter Beck:** Uh, well, I didn't get a ticket, so not not far enough, but but... **Interviewer:** Little warning. Yeah, a little warning. **Peter Beck:** I got a ticket. Yeah, but it was pathetic. So I'm as **10ks** and um, see I've got a real problem with this is is that um, and I I reckon like I mean, look, if you if you just do the maths, just do the maths, look at um, look at the the accuracy of um of the of the equipment and and the conditions around the equipment and how the conditions around the equipment change the **Doppler effect**. Right. Yeah. Right. And then um and even just the shape of the vehicle um all those kinds of things. And then look at the reality of the calibration of of a car's speedo 'cuz I think the official limit is five, not 10. So they give you a ticket for like five over. It might even be four. Yeah. I mean I mean and and like the math just does not stack up like those two if you inaccuracies of everything. Yeah. No. No. I mean, if if if that was, you know, if if that was a university test, you would fail because, you know, the tolerances overlap. So, um I I think that that's something that needs to be fixed. **Interviewer:** Yeah. Um somehow based on some of the things that I have to deal with when I'm trying to get rules changed around licensing and the likes. I think that's probably a step too far. It's a it's a step that probably no one in that space would even understand what you're talking about. So, um, anyway, I the pathetic side of it was if I was doing 10ks over limit, the fine was **30 bucks**. **Peter Beck:** Well, that would it cost more to process it than cost $30. It's costing the costing the country money. **Interviewer:** I think I would feel better if I was if I actually was fined a hundred bucks at least, if not more for that. Right. But the administration cost must be more than $30. I just it was just like I got the got it and it was like it's $30. Yeah. I'm just like this is Yeah. What's the point? **Peter Beck:** Yeah. And and what kind of deterrent is that? I mean I mean am I going to now be so so careful not to drive at at any stage in time which, you know, I'm driving down the road. I'm safe as houses. Okay. Blah blah blah. You're over the limit. You get caught. But but I wasn't watching the speedo, you know, constantly. And at 5ks you have to be because just just the undulations of a road is plus or minus 5ks. So, I recommend change it to 11 and then, as you say, bump the fine road up. **Interviewer:** Yeah, bump it. Right. That would that would make far more logical sense. There you go. We've fixed that. Um, right. Um, what rattles you? What do you see on the roads that really drives you mad in New Zealand? 'Cuz you would I mean, you obviously spend a lot of time in the US and and other countries as well driving. Um, what is what do you see that uh really sort of drives you a bit mad here in New Zealand? **Peter Beck:** Oh, that's super easy. It's like uh take any state highway more than one lane. There should be a **slow lane** and there should be a **fast lane** and there should be something in the middle for transitioning if you will. And everywhere else in the world that you drive, there's a fast lane and then there's a slow lane. Except in New Zealand where all the lanes are the same. **Interviewer:** Yeah. Well, and by law it's actually not in this country. If you read if you read the road code, it's not even in the road code. Like if you're slower going this lane, you're fast going that way. But there should be a law. But we don't we don't um obviously then even, you know, um make sure or don't teach it, but we also don't then police it as well. And and you know, you know when, well, actually to be fair, I was just going to say, you know, when someone is uh who's either not from New Zealand or or has not got their license in New Zealand. But then again, Kiwis are have become just as bad as everybody else anyway. **Peter Beck:** I reckon you could you could relieve at least **20% of all the traffic congestion** of this country if you just instigated the fast lane, slow lane and and policed it. I think that would be the most the most impactful thing you could do to traffic management. **Interviewer:** Yep. Yep. I think without without actually teaching people um, you know, awareness around what to do in high congestion areas which is look three, four, five, six cars 200 300 meters down the road instead of watching the car in front of you. If we could get people to do that and abide by that we wouldn't actually have a traffic issue. Like it does would certainly be improved. I mean and you go like you say, you go you go anywhere in the world. You go to LA and you're driving all around there. Like it's very well understood as a fast lane here and a slow lane there. You get out the fast lane, you do your thing, you back in the slow lane. And also though um the uh in these countries too, people let you in. People let you merge. They know how to merge. They know how to actually there's that courteous nature which is not even really courteous. It's just logical nature of driving. **Interviewer:** Leave angry now. So I hope you've got these better questions. They kind of turn around here. Yeah. You you've reacted better to these than anyone else. Okay, or more logically anyway. Driving fatigued. Have you you done a bit of that in the past? Have you do you recall? **Peter Beck:** Oh, yes. Yep. Yep. No. Um I remember I remember hearing the the gravel. You hear the gravel, it's it's time to go to sleep. Yeah. Yep. **Interviewer:** It's uh that it's that wake you up as in wake you up to do a do it better next time or so. **Peter Beck:** So the worst one uh was a road between it was I think it's just out of Balclutha between Dunedin and Invercargill and you go down this straight and uh then it goes off to the right and then there's a farm road gravel farm road that carries on straight and I woke up halfway down that farm road. We weren't supposed to be there. No, it was just the gravel. Holy. Gravel woke me up. Yeah. **Interviewer:** Wow. Okay. That was that was a that was that was a wakeup call big time then. **Peter Beck:** Big time. Yeah. Big time. **Interviewer:** There actually there must be um how does that work in in your industry actually then? I mean, you've with the seriousness of what you're actually bolting together all that kind of stuff, you know, we have we we have **FAA mandated** like during a launch period, we have FAA mandated times that you can stay on console for. You can't exceed a certain amount of time before you're out. **Peter Beck:** 100%. Yeah. Is that right? Yeah. I you know, and that was when I was young as well. So I'm not... **Interviewer:** Yeah. Sure. Yeah. Totally. But, um, but, yeah. Yeah, there must heavy restrictions or controls around all that kind of stuff, too. And even what about even in the factory and things? I mean, people need to be alert, don't you? You can't you can't make... **Peter Beck:** I mean, look, no make no mistake, we work hard. Like, you know, you day [off] is not a common thing at Rocket Lab, um, but, uh, but, you know, the team is is is well well kind of versed in recognizing it. **Interviewer:** Yeah. What's um what's your biggest distraction behind the wheel when you're driving? Um thinking about sending rockets to space or is it u something else? I mean, do you do you sometimes does your brain can go off into a into some bloody tangent somewhere far away. **Peter Beck:** So, to be honest with you, I there's many a time that I I get into my car at home and I arrive at work and I have **no recollection of the journey whatsoever**. I'm just you just you're just thinking or or you're you're on, you know, video calls or whatever and and just you're just totally you have no recollection of the journey. Just autopilot. **Interviewer:** That can be Yeah. Can be quite dangerous, could it? Yeah. Maybe you are an autopilot. You haven't got a bloody Tesla over there. **Peter Beck:** No. Can't drive one of those. **Interviewer:** Good. No. Well said. I like that. Um uh as someone who does deal with, you know, amazing precision. I'm not coming off very good here. I'm starting to realize that it's not looking good. It's real. It's very real. Um uh do do you think the average Kiwi takes driving seriously enough? **Peter Beck:** No. No. Absolutely not. **Interviewer:** That's a pretty obvious question really. No. Yeah. No. We take it for granted, don't we? **Peter Beck:** Yeah. Well, I mean, I've just proven that in a pretty conclusive way, haven't [I]? **Interviewer:** Well, yeah, I don't know about that. Um Um Maybe you have. I think I have. Um uh what about modern cars? Just tell me. Yeah, this is actually be interesting to know what you think. I mean, we have gone or manufacturers have just been forced into building certain tech into cars for the flaws of the people using them. Yeah. And um I mean I don't think well personally I know people don't even understand what that tech is. That's actually half the stuff that's in there. That's that's that's trying to fill the void or the gaps between the user and and the and the vehicle themselves. Um there's I I personally I mean there's there's too much stuff in there that that is irrelevant. **Peter Beck:** Yes. But you're a very good driver so that's that probably makes sense. But if you think of but if you don't understand the tech. Yeah. Or what it's about. I mean you could that can that can also make it worse. Yeah. But you think of things like **ABS** and **traction control** and all of that kind of stuff, right? Like you can make the argument that that's just sort of getting in the road. Um, but you know, it makes for far safer... **Interviewer:** ABS is is something that is, you know, built into vehicles these days, which for me is the single best piece of tech that's ever been put into a motor vehicle. I mean, all the stuff now that is now um, you know, manufacturers are putting in to try and continue to evolve, I suppose, including technology, you know, with the the steering wheel stuff that, you know, oh, that the **lane assist**... **Peter Beck:** Lane assist. Oh, it drives me insane. And all these, you know, the **auto braking** and... **Interviewer:** Auto braking reverse. **Peter Beck:** Oh, yeah. The one the one that annoys me in a modern car is is like I just want to open the door 'cuz I'm backing a trailer and you can't do that anymore and it just it's like ah, you know. **Interviewer:** Yeah. But the amount of stuff that um is I personally some of that stuff is now really really distracting. Yeah, especially if you don't know what all the details of all that tech that's built into those cars, it can actually in my opinion, I mean, it can actually um become quite distracting and also um if you're not using it correctly or or you're relying on it, Yeah. Could become... I don't know 'cuz I I can think of an in of a of a an incident where I was uh I was driving down open road and um I looked across at something for some reason. I saw something out of my eye, looked across, but I didn't realize the car in front of me, jumped on the anchors, like, you know, emergency brake and and the car just break before I'd recognized that there was, you know, it needed to be... I probably I'm 100% sure would have gone right out the back of him. Yeah. Right. So, and it was only just a like that. It was just a, you know, glance away and and it was just, you know, red lights. So I was quite grateful for that at that point. **Peter Beck:** So, you weren't you weren't driving the Delorean then at that? No. No. Well, you're lucky to get up to 100. So, yeah. Okay. Well, there's an example of it. So, I think I think that I'm I'm all for those. **Interviewer:** But are we are we going to become... Well, I mean, jeez, do you do you seriously do you believe then? Do you think **autonomous** stuff is it's not going it's not a reality in New Zealand with our roads, is it autonomy? **Peter Beck:** I think it could be. I think it could be. I mean, for autonomy, you need you need um you need obviously a sensor network and you need connectivity. So even if you've got a car that is not autonomous, as long as um the autonomous cars know where it is and what it's doing, then it can make decisions. The the problem with autonomy right now, and I'm straight way out of a field here, so I'm not an autonomy automotive expert, but I'm just looking at purely from the engineering standpoint, like if you're connected and networked with all of the vehicles around you and you're not just relying on sensor input to decide that that car is now breaking, you can actually, you know, got a sensor. So I think what will happen is we'll all get a little box that goes in our cars no matter what we drive and they'll all be mesh networked together and then the autonomous vehicles will be able to do their job very very well. They'll be able to be very autonomous even for the crazy people in the Delorean you know swerving around. It won't matter because you you have you have you know sensor data from that vehicle. Yeah. So I think I think it's totally doable on on on, you know, any road and in any environment with the right sensor and mesh network. **Interviewer:** Right. Boring though. I hate the idea. I just Yeah. I I just go, "Well, you might as well might as well be in a on a bus or on a..." **Peter Beck:** Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's right. Yeah. But the flip side to that is is like, you know, I've got young children. They're just starting to drive on the open road and, you know, you see all the nut bars out there doing dumb stuff and it's like, well, you know, I'd like I'd like, you know, that extra safety so that you can go and race in the weekend. **Interviewer:** That's true. Ah, all right then. I'm going off on a bloody Yeah. Rabbit hole for me. Purist. I am a purist. That's and and that makes me a dinosaur, I think. Doesn't it? Um what's uh what what's the advice and well actually we spoke about it when we were driving, but um uh about what you did to your kids for to teach them to drive? Um um what do you reckon the number one piece of advice would be that you'd uh to kids learning to drive? **Peter Beck:** Do it early. Like, um, uh, controlled environment. Yeah, controlled environment. Do it early and go somewhere. Um, put them in a in a difficult car to drive like, you know, and our kids were is it like a a manual an old manual Jeep um and um both of them were driving when they were **12 or younger**. Um and um you know, just start building that experience. And mind you, kids learn fast, too. **Interviewer:** Yeah, they do. Oh, that's yeah, that is a good piece of advice and and and, you know, when I think about when and you and me and many others. One other thing everybody needs to go to the racetrack to actually and for no other reason to actually see what a car is capable of doing. Um and what happens if you get into a little bit of a drift and slide. I think it should be part of the licensing is that you have to go to a racetrack. Like I say, even if you even just to understand that you can go around a corner way faster than you think you can or not. **Peter Beck:** Man after my own heart there in that one. Yes. **Interviewer:** Um I'm I'm working hard on trying to get uh get um controlled environment stuff and, you know, going to a facility. And it's not, you know, the fact of it is the only the only places we can actually do some is these things is is is at the racetrack. Not that we're trying to make everyone a race car driver, but that's the only bit where there's all this all this ashvelt that is a controlled environment to be able to do these things. **Peter Beck:** Well, I think most people they get into a slide, they just lock this lock their hands in the steering wheel. Right. **Interviewer:** Oh totally. Yeah. And and it's a and and and it's it's a lot about actually creating awareness about the potential for that as well and then recognizing so that you don't get there in the first place. Um because it's uh it is, you know, teaching people to be able to react accordingly once you're actually in that position is a that's a lot of learning, right? Um but teaching about ABS and stopping and emergencies and and what it feels like through the seat of your pants and all that kind of stuff is an absolute no-brainer. And yet we don't do it. The politicians, the decision makers, they don't know what ABS is. Yeah. They don't know why you have to have tread on tires. They don't know why tires have tread, you know. Oh, the minimum's 1.5. Well, why is that? Oh, well, it just is. Well, no, there's a reason for it, you know, and that's that's how simplistic, unfortunately, our learning our learning is for for drivers, young drivers, uh, specifically starting it. Um, you know, that's how simplistic our learning is to go and, "Oh, well, here you go. He's he's here's a license to allow you to drive on our roads." It's scary actually. Yeah, it's scary. **Peter Beck:** It is terrifying. **Interviewer:** Anyway, hey, um, that has been awesome. Um, great to have a chat. I really appreciate your time 'cuz this, mate, busy man. Um, so I got to get the DeLorean out. That's awesome. **Peter Beck:** You did. You did. I feel I feel I feel good that I've um forced that to happen. Exactly. Right. Yeah. You've taken me out of my zone there for a little bit. Hey, great to catch up and um yeah um can't wait to look at um the future and uh **Rocket Lab's** progress. **Peter Beck:** Thanks. **Interviewer:** Big thanks as always to our sponsor **AutoSense** uh who are providers of fleet and driver safety solutions. If you're in the business of managing vehicle fleets and need a hand with safety solutions and driver training, check them out at autosense.co.nz. And if this episode got your gears turning and gave you something to think about on your next drive, hit follow, share it with your mates, and join us for the next spin in the driver's seat.