Sir Peter Joseph Beck (born circa 1977) is a prominent New Zealand aerospace engineer and entrepreneur, best known as the founder, president, and chief executive officer of the aerospace company Rocket Lab. Born and raised in Invercargill, New Zealand, Beck developed an early and intense fascination with mechanics and rocketry. The son of a museum and art gallery director and gemologist, Russell Beck, and a teacher, Peter grew up in an environment that encouraged hands-on engineering. As a teenager, he famously disassembled his family’s Mini, rebuilding it with a custom turbocharger, and spent his formative years in a workshop building water rockets and various experimental devices. Eschewing a traditional university education, Beck chose to pursue a practical path, beginning a tool-and-die maker apprenticeship at the appliance manufacturer Fisher & Paykel in 1995. Beck’s early professional career was defined by his work in precision engineering and high-performance materials. Following his time at Fisher & Paykel, where he refined his skills in production machinery and product design, he worked as a project engineer on a yacht in New Plymouth. Between 2001 and 2006, he worked at Industrial Research Limited, a New Zealand government research institute. During this period, he focused on advanced composite structures, superconductors, and wind turbine technology, all while continuing his private, self-taught research into rocket propulsion systems. His dedication to rocketry led him to travel to the United States to meet with fellow enthusiasts, a journey that proved pivotal in formulating his vision for a commercial space company. In June 2006, Beck founded Rocket Lab in New Zealand, driven by the goal of democratizing access to space through affordable, frequent launch services. The company achieved a major milestone in November 2009 with the launch of the Ātea-1 sounding rocket, which marked the first time a private company in the Southern Hemisphere successfully reached space. Following this achievement, the company’s trajectory accelerated. In 2013, Rocket Lab transitioned its registration to the United States, establishing its headquarters in Huntington Beach, California, while maintaining significant research and development operations in New Zealand. Under Beck's leadership, the company developed the Electron launch vehicle—a rocket noted for its use of 3D-printed engines and carbon-composite structures. The development of this vehicle, and the establishment of the private Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, required complex international negotiations and new legislative frameworks, reflecting Beck’s skill in navigating both technical and regulatory landscapes. Since the successful introduction of the Electron rocket, Rocket Lab has grown into a global leader in the small satellite launch market, expanding its services to include satellite manufacturing, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management. In 2021, the company went public on the Nasdaq Stock Market through a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company, a move that solidified its financial standing in the competitive private space sector. Beck, who serves as the company’s CEO, President, and Chairman, has maintained a hands-on approach to engineering, consistently pushing for innovations such as reusable rocket technology. Beck has received numerous honors for his contributions to the aerospace industry and business. In 2024, he was appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to the aerospace industry, business, and education. His other recognitions include the Pickering Medal from the Royal Society Te Apārangi, the Gold and Meritorious Medals from the Royal Aeronautical Society, and the New Zealander of the Year Award in the Innovator of the Year category. He is also an adjunct professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Auckland. Married to Kerryn Morris, with whom he has two children, Beck continues to be a central figure in the modern space economy, frequently cited for his role in transforming New Zealand into a recognized player in global spaceflight.