Rocket Lab General Discussion Thread

[JEF_300]

Also... like, whether or not it's achievable, it's the sort of goal you want your space company CEO to have. Even if they never become the largest space company, trying to become the largest will lead them to doing more and bigger things. That's good.

[trimeta]

Also... like, whether or not it's achievable, it's the sort of goal you want your space company CEO to have. Even if they never become the largest space company, trying to become the largest will lead them to doing more and bigger things. That's good.

Valid point. Musk's "aspirational" timelines are seen as valuable to motivate his workforce, even if they're somewhat unrealistic; this is similar.

[Lee Jay]

Also... like, whether or not it's achievable, it's the sort of goal you want your space company CEO to have. Even if they never become the largest space company, trying to become the largest will lead them to doing more and bigger things. That's good.

Valid point. Musk's "aspirational" timelines are seen as valuable to motivate his workforce, even if they're somewhat unrealistic; this is similar.

Aspirational goals to be great are great.  Unrealistic timelines are demoralizing, soul crushing and life-destroying.

[M.E.T.]

Also... like, whether or not it's achievable, it's the sort of goal you want your space company CEO to have. Even if they never become the largest space company, trying to become the largest will lead them to doing more and bigger things. That's good.

Valid point. Musk's "aspirational" timelines are seen as valuable to motivate his workforce, even if they're somewhat unrealistic; this is similar.

Well, what can one say. I’m sure many other generals had all sorts of grand aspirations while Napoleon bestrode the Earth.🙄

[sstli2]

Ah, the SpaceNews Op-Ed section, where every corner of the space-industrial complex goes to say why they know best what should be done with taxpayer money, oh and never mind the conflict of interest.

[thespacecow]

I wonder why RL is so keen on getting this contract, it's not that big or important. BO also have a stake in this, but they don't sound nearly as desperate.

Maybe having trouble keeping up the sky high valuation without anything substantial to show for it?

[TrevorMonty]

I wonder why RL is so keen on getting this contract, it's not that big or important. BO also have a stake in this, but they don't sound nearly as desperate.

Maybe having trouble keeping up the sky high valuation without anything substantial to show for it?

Worth few $100m. RL current backlog is $1B.

[Robotbeat]

What contract? Mars telecom?

RL is hungry and wants to expand to deep space missions. Basically after Lockheed Martin’s role.

[M.E.T.]

They like to poke the bear. Mars is Elon’s baby. “Attempt no landing here”.

So of course Beck wants to put his marker on it. He craves the adulation Elon has earned.

[jstrotha0975]

Sending a communications satellite to Mars isn't big? As other have said, this is Rocket labs chance to break into other space markets.

[sstli2]

They like to poke the bear. Mars is Elon’s baby. “Attempt no landing here”.

So of course Beck wants to put his marker on it. He craves the adulation Elon has earned.

Ugh, no wonder I have you on my ignore list.

It's not that complicated. There's money in this. Good money. Their 2024 revenue was $436M. This contract is worth up to $700M. It's not rocket science why they want this contract.

[Robotbeat]

And it’s potentially an in to multi-billion-dollar missions like Mars Sample Return if they pull it off. RL isn’t a big company. These sorts of missions are a lot of revenue. The contract is worth like 90 Electron launches. that’s 5 years’ worth of Electron launches.

[Blackhorse]

He probably doesn't crave the hatred Elon has earned.

Fixed that for you. 

[edzieba]

And it’s potentially an in to multi-billion-dollar missions like Mars Sample Return if they pull it off. RL isn’t a big company. These sorts of missions are a lot of revenue. The contract is worth like 90 Electron launches. that’s 5 years’ worth of Electron launches.

Not just an "in": if Rocketlab can get a Mars Telecomm Orbiter funded and launched, then if/when MSR bids open they can underbid competitors by not having to charge for that segment (because it is already paid for).

And depending on how a hypothetical Mars Telecomm Orbiter is contracted, Rocket Lab may even be able to 'double sip' by charging for relay services too. That depends on whether MTO is a "built by Rocket Lab, owned and operated by NASA" contract, or a "Rocket Lab owns and operated MTO and sells relay services" contact. And with the wholesale cuts to NASA science missions ongoing, it would be a not impossible scenario where a Rocket Lab owned MTO becomes the sole American Mars data relay available for the better part of a decade.

[JEF_300]

The fact that Blue Origin also jumped on MTO idea, despite generally being less interested in Mars, it not being nearly as big a contract for them, and not needing an "in" with NASA, does make me feel like there's something super appealing about the project that's not fully clear to us yet.

And depending on how a hypothetical Mars Telecomm Orbiter is contracted, Rocket Lab may even be able to 'double sip' by charging for relay services too. That depends on whether MTO is a "built by Rocket Lab, owned and operated by NASA" contract, or a "Rocket Lab owns and operated MTO and sells relay services" contact.

It being commercially operated, meaning that it would turn into a 30+ year revenue stream after launch, would fit the bill.

[jongoff]

New Rocket Lab related light-reading arrived today:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0473741229?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

300pgs of photos, diagrams, etc., about Rocket Lab's story. Should be a fun read.

~Jon

[StraumliBlight]

New Rocket Lab related light-reading arrived today:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0473741229?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

300pgs of photos, diagrams, etc., about Rocket Lab's story. Should be a fun read.

~Jon

There's a couple of pages viewable on RL's website.

[thespacecow]

Interesting rivalry here, people still think BO and RL's biggest rival is SpaceX, in reality it's each other:

https://twitter.com/DJSnM/status/1987184793109578116

https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/1988010942899048870

[sstli2]

Interesting rivalry here, people still think BO and RL's biggest rival is SpaceX, in reality it's each other:

Both companies are rightfully focused on SpaceX because SpaceX is the entity they need to take market share from to succeed.

[thespacecow]

Interesting rivalry here, people still think BO and RL's biggest rival is SpaceX, in reality it's each other:

Both companies are rightfully focused on SpaceX because SpaceX is the entity they need to take market share from to succeed.

They can't, the competition is who is going to be (a distant) 2nd place to SpaceX by serving the 'never SpaceX' segment.