Inside Rocket Lab w/ CEO Sir Peter Beck: Record Earnings, Neutron, Flatelittes

Sir Peter Beck founded Rocket Lab 20 years ago. Today, the company is scaling far beyond launching rockets.

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) just posted a record Q2 2026:

• $234M revenue, +62% YoY

• $2.36B record backlog, +137% YoY

• $437M+ in new launch contracts

• $581M+ in new Space Systems contracts

• 90+ launches in backlog

• Q3 revenue guidance of 250M–265M

We sat down with Founder & CEO Sir Peter Beck after touring Rocket Lab’s Long Beach facility to break down what comes next.

Peter explains Rocket Lab’s transformation from a launch company into an end-to-end space company spanning rockets, satellites, components, defense, and communications.

We get into Neutron and why Peter believes investors should be asking about the 10th launch, not just the first, the strategy behind the Iridium acquisition, Rocket Lab’s growing national security business, Flatellite, its acquisition playbook, and why going public gave the company the firepower to pursue opportunities it never could have as a private company.

We also discuss Neutron’s delays, Archimedes, reusability, Rocket Lab’s vertically integrated manufacturing strategy, building an entire space industry from scratch in New Zealand, and Peter’s long-term ambition to build a multi-generational company.

Plus: aliens, getting knighted, why Archimedes engines are painted black, and Peter’s surprisingly simple philosophy on business.

Peter Beck: https://x.com/Peter_J_Beck

Molly O’Shea: https://x.com/MollySOShea

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(00:00) Sir Peter Beck, Founder & CEO at Rocket Lab

(00:59) Rocket Lab's biggest quarter

(02:53) The competitive edge in Space

(04:10) Rocket Lab's Acquisition Strategy

(05:04) Reason behind the Iridium Deal

(06:13) Competing with Blue Origin & SpaceX

(11:19) Building a Launch Monopoly in New Zealand

(12:33) Is this why Peter got Knighted?

(16:42) Beating SpaceX to the Public Markets

(20:05) Why Neutron is still facing delays

(27:38) Rocket Lab's latest contract wins

(29:04) How defense became a prime mover for Rocket Lab

(30:39) Ghost: Rocket Lab's portable launch pad

(31:30) Has he seen Aliens?