🏠 > [[Interviews]] > December 2 2025 **Insider**: [[Morgan Connaughton]] **Source**: [RedPlanetLive](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3NWZVjx5k0) **Date**: 2025-12-02  🔗 Backup Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3NWZVjx5k0 ## Transcript ### Welcome & Announcements (0:00) **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton):** Hello and welcome everyone to Red Planet Live. I am your host Ashton Connaughton. I'm elated to be hosting the Mars Society's podcast and leading the conversation about human exploration of the universe and the future settlement of Mars. As a longtime space enthusiast, I am passionate about STEM education and making humanity an interplanetary species. Thank you everyone for joining us today and supporting Red Planet Live. Want to kick off today's episode with just a couple of announcements. You may have noticed um that I introduced myself a little bit different. Ashton Zeth is my maiden name. But in honor of today's guest, uh officially using my married name, which is my legal name, Ashton Connaughton. Uh besides that, couple announcements I want to share with you. First, quick reminder. The next episode of Red Planet Live will feature our Mars Society founder and president, Dr. Robert Zubrin. That episode is going to take place at our regularly scheduled time. So, next um the the third Tuesday, Tuesday, December 16th at 5:00 p.m. Pacific time, you'll see uh the link to register for that episode coming up here shortly. Next, if you are looking for the perfect gift for your space enthusiast or obsessed friends, family, or you just want to treat yourself, check out the Mars store. It's the official shop of the Mars Society, offering everything from Mars themed gear, art, apparel, drinkware, and more. These are all special gifts for the space lovers in your life. You might notice there's a couple things behind me that they do sell at the store, like the little Mars globe right there. Uh I have the garden, the Zen garden as well. Love that one. It's on display behind me. So yeah, if you're looking for some holiday gifts for your space friends, check out the marshere.com [unclear url]. And then lastly, I want to give a quick personal update to to all of you. Starting in January of 2026, our broadcast schedule will shift slightly for a couple months. I am expecting my first child, so I'm going to be taking some time off for maternity leave. During that time, Red Planet Live will occur one time per month, and those scheduled uh episodes will be pre-recorded as well. So, just want to let you know we're shifting a little bit. Rather than our two times per month, we're going to one time, and for a couple months, we will have those pre-recorded. So, still want to make the conversation engaging and compelling for you. Um, so thank you for your support uh and being a part of this community. I'm excited to bring those conversations to you even in this time of transition and then can't wait for uh our regular schedule once we get back a few months into the new year. So thank you everybody for that. All right. Well, I'm really excited to jump into the conversation today and this is a special guest and I'll tell you why in a moment. So, our guest for today is Morgan Connaughton, who is the VP of marketing and communications at Rocket Lab, leading global communication strategies, external affairs, and corporate branding for the company. Morgan joined Rocket Lab in 2018, and has been integral to major milestones such as the company's NASDAQ listing in 2021. She has been part of Rocket Lab's many milestones including um leading up to Rocket Lab's 50th and 60th electron missions, as well as um managing the successful global press campaign for the historic helicopter catch recovery mission in 2022. In her current role, Morgan oversees Rocket Lab's media and investor relations, marketing, digital and social media platforms, corporate social responsibility programs, and community relations. From leading the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket mission to providing critical communications support for Rocket Lab's Mars mission to EscaPADE, Morgan's experience is both extensive and impressive. She holds a Bachelor of Communications and a diploma in Public Relations from Auckland University of Technology. Morgan, thank you so much for being here. I'm so excited to chat with you. ### Introducing Morgan Connaughton & Personal Parallels (2:31) **Morgan Connaughton:** Thank you for having me. It's exciting to be here. Yeah. **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton) (3:43):** And I have to share one of the reasons that I was so excited to chat with you. Aside from working in, you know, space industry, leading Rocket Lab's communications, uh, we have a lot of similarities in our lives right now. Uh, firstly, I was reading through your LinkedIn bio and noticed we share our last name. That's how I originally found you on LinkedIn. Um, you know, some of the other similarities, **Morgan Connaughton (4:01):** background in communications, that's also what my bachelor's is in. And the thing that really stood out to me is you mentioned to me that you got married about two years ago and recently **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton) (4:07):** welcomed a little girl as well. So, we're in a similar boat there. So, um, a lot of similarities, which just cracks me up **Morgan Connaughton (4:12):** how how parallel our lives are. Maybe parallel universes are a thing and we just happen to bump into each other. Exactly. ### Question of the Day (4:19) **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton):** Well, it's nice to know I've got I got a twin down under and so excited to be chatting with you today and and can't wait to learn a little bit more about your background. But before we get there, we're going to jump into the conversation. Uh on Red Planet Live, we do a segment called Question of the Day. It's just meant to be an icebreaker. **Morgan Connaughton (4:32):** I promise no right or wrong answers. Just want to hear your opinion. **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton) (4:37):** Um, so as a fellow communications gal, my question to you is, what would be your dream story or announcement to share with the public? **Morgan Connaughton (4:50):** Oh, I'm going to give you a really awful answer and say I have my dream job and announcements. Um, uh, you know, getting to announce, uh, every successful electron launch, uh, our EscaPADE missions, the fact that we were building a big rocket, Neutron. I I mean the list goes on, but this is genuinely my dream job. I I remember I'd done our third launch where I I had a moment of doubt where I thought, gosh, is this going to get boring now? **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton) (5:15):** where I thought, gosh, is this going to get boring now? **Morgan Connaughton (5:15):** Um because we've done done a few launches. Um everyone's only interested in the first rocket launch or the first couple, but um no, each milestone and each mission um has its own story to tell um and each is just I I mean there are highs and lows, but um no, I I definitely have my dream job. But if I could bring in another element, it would be that we could um I I would just I I would love for for the stories of space to be more widely understood and appreciated by everyone. Um, it can feel like a an industry that is hard for people to understand, hard for people to get into. Um, I I I just would love **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton) (6:24):** Um, but I'm greedy like that, so I'm asking for more. I love it. I, you know, I have to say I'm I'm a little bit jealous, um because uh I'm not as close to the communications world as I used to be. I still do it in my own way. Um but uh I love the question of the day and I love hearing that you're living your dream job because that's not something many people say. So, I love that for you. Um, so then, you know, let's learn a bit more about you. ### Career Path into Space Communications (7:29) **Morgan Connaughton:** So, I don't know, did I always envision a career in space? Absolutely not. Um, in fact, one of the things that I I will always mention to people is that, um, especially those who are wondering if they can find a career in the space industry or in space, you do not need a STEM background. Um, I'm a comms professional. Um, I'm an English major. I I came from a very, very non STEM background. Um, and actually, truth be told, I wasn't particularly interested in space. Um, it was not on my radar at all until I started studying communications. ### Highlights, Milestones, and Going Public (12:20) **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton):** So, uh I love that you mentioned that credit to to those working in in communications. Um, **Morgan Connaughton (12:25):** and I saw also from your background in your LinkedIn bio that you started at Rocket Lab as an account manager, that is my my day job. I'm an account executive. So, um, and and it it seems like you worked your way up from account manager all the way to VP. So, uh, that's a really cool story. So, I'd love to **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton) (14:16):** Um, but I'm greedy like that, so I'm asking for more. I love it. I, you know, I have to say I'm I'm a little bit jealous, um because uh I'm not as close to the communications world as I used to be. I still do it in my own way. Um but uh I love the question of the day and I love hearing that you're living your dream job because that's not something many people say. So, I love that for you. Um, so then, you know, let's learn a bit more about you. … Um, so those are all highlights, milestones and just things. But I'd love to hear from you specifically. What are some significant moments or peak memories that you have from your experience. Um, let's talk **Morgan Connaughton (14:52):** And then of course, uh, thinking about, uh, taking, uh, Rocket Lab public, what was **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton) (14:59):** the the challenge of of that as well? **Morgan Connaughton (14:59):** making making how did your comms work um and how did you handle that? Um, you were making that uh that adjustment from a private to a public company? Yeah, that's a good good question. So, um I mean you things definitely change when you're public. Um you it's kind of the wild west when you're a private company. You can kind of determine **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton) (16:49):** Um you know how does that change? Uh in terms of messaging the language that you use changes um how you communicate **Morgan Connaughton (17:41):** quarterly reports whereas previously, you know, we were still delivering quarterly results, but we had a little bit more freedom to determine you know how and when we did that. Um you know, there are ### Working with Peter Beck & Rocket Lab Culture (21:55) **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton):** what has your experience been like uh working with with Peter Beck as a leader? **Morgan Connaughton (22:00):** Uh, yeah, I can answer both of those parts. Uh, what it's like working with Peter Beck, fantastic. Um, **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton) (24:14):** you know, we have bitten off some really honestly what seemed like impossible projects. **Morgan Connaughton (24:19):** Going to the moon on a small rocket, uh, building a spacecraft for the moon for a $80 million budget, you know, building their spacecraft for Mars. Um, and **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton) (27:16):** uh, what would you say has contributed to Rocket Lab success? **Morgan Connaughton (27:16):** I mean, at this point, Rocket Lab is a a nearly two decade old company. Um, and we have, I guess, the advantage of being in a market that is absolutely booming. There is more money pouring into space now than ever before. Um, there is more interest. Um, I mean, even just look at the launch market. When Rocket Lab started, there were maybe ### Audience Q: Press Releases, Partners, and EscaPADE Overview (29:31) **Audience (Hogular):** Um, so yeah, it it's always just people… At all levels. Um, yeah, I mean I I think that's what you know, **Morgan Connaughton (29:45):** Ah so on EscaPADE we've built the spacecraft but the the scientific instruments are are actually um UC Berkeley uh as principal investigators and and NASA obviously as well. So um whether it's this mission or any other we are coordinating with a customer. So whether it's an electron launch, whether it's a HASTE mission, it's an EscaPADE mission, uh sometimes we've just supplied the solar panels say on something like James Webb Space Telescope. So we would still be coordinating with in that case the prime contractor and then NASA for what we can release and what we can announce when. So um yeah I mean there's there's definitely by the time you see a video that has come out or read a story on a on a um website whether it's Rocket Lab or any other company chances are it's been through a lot of different teams to make sure that all the content is accurate. Um uh but you know the NASA team is fantastic. They've obviously some of the best comms professionals in the world. Um, telling some of the most incredible stories in the world. Um, so they're a delightful team to work with. **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton) (32:07):** So those instruments and that scientific um work is theirs. **Morgan Connaughton (32:12):** Um but we've built the tools that enable them to do that. So the spacecraft that take those instruments there and it's a it's a complex mission because we've got to light loiter um around in space for about a year before we're able to actually kind of head on that that trajectory once we once that Mars transit window opens up. So in that whole time, our our spacecraft team will be making sure the spacecraft aren't too hot, not too cold. They're operating fine, engines and, you know, propulsion systems are working. They're communicating. Um, you know, it's a tough environment to keep those those spacecraft alive and happy in in orbit, but um the team, you know, it's it's what they do best. Um, it's a really exciting mission because it's uh it was really fast and it's it's pretty low cost compared to a typical Mars mission. I mean this audience more than anyone will understand just how much it costs to get to Mars and how infrequently it happens. Um you know and this entire mission was done for around $80 million. So um you know that's that's kind of paradigm shifting level cost um of being able to do interplanetary science. Um and you know one of the ways we're able to do that is is through vertical integration. So spacecraft historically were built with a whole lot of different suppliers. ### Explaining EscaPADE for Different Audiences (36:27) **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton):** way for you know those that are watching? Um you know again Mars **Morgan Connaughton (36:33):** missions don't happen as frequently as we'd all like and they're often uh delayed overpriced. Um so how do we for ### Student Q&A: Rocket Lab Missions, Electron, Neutron & HASTE (40:17) **Morgan Connaughton:** there's a couple other missions that we've talked about outside of um EscaPADE. **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton) (40:17):** So, uh one of the questions that I have is can you give an overview? This is from um a student. Can you give an overview **Morgan Connaughton (40:24):** Um uh Electron, Ron, uh Neutron on there. **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton) (42:05):** Um, well, let's let's dive a little bit more into the electron mission. So, that marked a meaningful uh milestone **Morgan Connaughton (42:23):** Um well, Electron is was our baby. It's um we set out to open access to space for small satellites. So, um, Electron is a small lift vehicle, it lifts up to 300 kilograms to low Earth orbit and and so really set out to serve customers who were building small satellites but wanted the dedicated launch experience. So rather than having to kind of sit on the shelf, wait until there is a big rocket that could fit them on as a ride share mission and then dictate their orbit dictate their schedule, you know, we were able to provide this small lift vehicle that allowed small satellites to have their own mission and their own dedicated access to space. Um, and so we started launching Electron in 2017 and um, it has now done uh nearly 60 missions, 50 plus successful and um, it it is a phenomenal vehicle. Uh, you know, it it is the second most launched rocket in the United States at this point behind SpaceX's Falcon 9 which is incredible and and we are you know, constantly iterating and improving it. The rocket that exists today is not the rocket that existed in 2017. It's it's greatly improved. **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton) (51:13):** Yeah. Well, speaking of the catch, uh, we've got another question. How exciting was the helicopter attempt to catch [unclear—likely the booster]? Uh, **Morgan Connaughton (51:26):** that was a wild, wild day. The um, yeah, we have a a little live stream studio um where we run the launch webcasts. Um, obviously I'm sitting in one part of it. you're used to seeing Murielle here be host. She's much better at hosting than me, which is why you'll never see me on a webcast. Um, but I was sitting on the other side of the glass that day with the team operating the webcast. And it's not often that we are either speechless or screaming and somehow we were doing both on that day. Um, because it was just just yeah pure elation. Um, yeah. And and I and the team knows that helicopter pilot as well. And so, you know, it was a big big win for everyone to see that happen and just Yeah, I can't can't quite describe the elation of that moment, but it was pretty cool. Feeling a little speechless talking about it. ### Mars Ambitions, Corporate Responsibility & Community Engagement (52:18) **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton):** let's see. I know we're we got a little bit while left. Um, you know, I'm curious. Obviously, this is the Mars Society. This is Red Planet Live. So, of course, we are interested in Mars and getting humans to Mars. Um, so my question to you is, you know, what is Rocket Lab's long-term ambitions when it comes to Mars? Um, obviously there there's Escalade mission that's happening now, but beyond that, where does Rocket Lab see its future in relation to Mars? Yeah. **Morgan Connaughton (52:49):** So I think Rocket Lab um I would say we haven't necessarily tied our future or our ambitions to one planet but actually we have um and we might be uh you know one of the the few space companies that spends quite a lot of time looking inward back at Earth rather than out. So we we kind of view space as the avenue to help us better understand our own planet and help us improve um you know how we we live on it and its future um you know whether that be through data or services or research um capabilities you know really so we I mean what's on the wall in all rocket lab facilities as we go to space to improve life on earth um and that is that is absolutely true. So, you know, there is a lot to be gained by humanity exploring um you know, other planets, whether that be Mars or we also have a a mission to Venus as well. Um but I guess that is how we view ourselves as as an enabler for people, scientists, organizations, you know, to to research more and to be able to to deliver insights and capabilities um about our solar system back to Earth. Um, so you know, are we the the next company that's planning on, you know, building cities on Mars? No. Um, but, you know, do we have, you know, people and hardware and experience that enable others to do that should they want to? Yes. Um, but I think, yeah, our our ambitions um include Mars. Absolutely. And they go far beyond Mars as well. ### Mission Naming & Closing (58:46) **Morgan Connaughton:** If a customer buys a dedicated launch, which most of ours are. We don't do a lot of ride share missions, but we do the odd one. If they buy a dedicated launch, they are entitled to pick their mission name. Um but it can't just be anything. We have a list of criteria and um their name has to be reviewed and approved by us. So, you know, for example, we don't we don't allow them to use swear words. Um, we don't allow them to use names that could **Interviewer (Ashton Connaughton) (59:29):** Um so it's it really is a collaborative process. Um sometimes customers don't mind at all and they give it to us to name. Um which is actually worse because then we've got nothing to go on. Um but **Morgan Connaughton (59:42):** yeah, I think it was fun. It was a fun little challenge when we were in single digit launches and 75 odd missions later it is getting difficult. But I am I mean I've seen some of the mission names coming up um and there are some absolute bangers in there. So I am there is still there are still some… like we always do. The best is yet to come. Thanks everybody.