THE final frontier could be conquered as early as next June, when Rocket Lab expects to begin launching test rockets into space from its Mahia Peninsula site.For Rocket Lab founder and chief executive Peter Beck, launching his first 16m Electron rocket into space from what will be the world’s first commercial orbital launch site is a life-long dream.
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On Saturday the remote site on Onenui Station was blessed and the lease agreement signed between Rocket Lab and the landowners — representatives of Tawapata South Incorporation.Mr Beck gave a small perspex box to the spokesman for Tawapatu, George Mackey. He invited him to place things that are special to them in it, to be sent into orbit with the first launch next June. Some Onenui soil went into the box first.“I’ve been dreaming for much of my life of putting something into space, and what the Mackey family places in the box will represent that 20-year dream.”Mr Beck said breaking ground at the launch site was very special.“We are trying to enable people to use space in a fundamentally different way. Space is very much unchartered — weather, GPS, it all comes from space but it remains a place that is hard to access.“Your Sky bills are what they are because it costs so much to access space,” he said.“Getting these assets into orbit will mean you can have internet anywhere, in the paddock for example . . . disseminating the knowledge of the world to everyone in the world is very empowering,” he said.Mr Mackey said it was great for their 1700 shareholders in Onenui Station, for Mahia and Wairoa, and they were excited to support Rocket Lab.The point overlooking Portland Island was a place of healing, rejuvenation and recharging said Ringatu Minister Bill McRoberts after blessing the site.Mr Mackey said matua Bill had opened the heavens to allow them to become the world leaders in the space race.
Filmed and Edited by
Ben Cowper
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