PETER BECK
FOUNDER, CEO
ROCKET LAB
WHY: Created space company that launches Electron rockets with diverse payloads into space, with local headquarters in Long Beach.
IN THE NEWS: Selected by European Space Agency to launch the first two spacecraft for a future satellite-based navigation system for the continent. Will also be sending up two rockets for Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand.
NOTABLE: Share price has climbed almost 180% this year alone, with market cap of $34B as of October. Since its founding in 2006, Rocket Lab has launched 67 Electron rockets.
QUOTABLE: Says the company is showing a “big step-up in cadence” for launches this year, and he’s not worried about demand.
