Peter Beck

Peter Beck founded Rocket Lab in New Zealand and designed the Electron launch vehicle with its Rutherford engine, the first electric-pump-fed rocket engine to reach orbit. By using 3D-printed engine components and electric turbopumps instead of traditional gas generators, Beck produced a small launch vehicle that dramatically reduced the cost and complexity of reaching space. Rocket Lab has become the leading dedicated small-satellite launcher, proving that orbital access does not require the resources of a superpower or a billionaire's fortune.