He built a rocket-powered bike when he was a kid. Now he leads the company that has made New Zealand number three among nations that launch big rockets, following the United States and China. Sir Peter Beck joins us for a deeply revealing and entertaining conversation about “The Launch of Rocket Lab,” the beautiful book that tells his and Rocket Lab's inspiring story. His dedication to advancing planetary science missions will make members of The Planetary Society proud!


Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-peter-beck

He built a rocket-powered bike when he was a kid. Now he leads the company that has made New Zealand number three among nations that launch big rockets, following the United States and China. Sir Peter Beck joins us for a deeply revealing and entertaining conversation about &ldquo;The Launch of Rocket Lab,&rdquo; the beautiful book that tells his and Rocket Lab's inspiring story. His dedication to advancing planetary science missions will make members of The Planetary Society proud!
 Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-peter-beck">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-peter-beck</a>

Planetary Radio brings you the human adventure across our Solar System and beyond. We visit each week with the scientists, engineers, leaders, advocates, and astronauts who are taking us across the final frontier. Regular features raise your space IQ while they put a smile on your face. Join host Sarah Al-Ahmed and Planetary Society colleagues including Bill Nye the Science Guy and Bruce Betts as they dive deep into space science and exploration. The monthly Space Policy Edition takes you inside the DC beltway where the future of the US space program hangs in the balance. Visit planetary.org/radio for an episode guide and much more.

Planetary Radio brings you the human adventure across our Solar System and beyond. We visit each week with the scientists, engineers, leaders, advocates, and astronauts who are taking us across the final frontier. Regular features raise your space IQ while they put a smile on your face. Join host Sarah Al-Ahmed and Planetary Society colleagues including Bill Nye the Science Guy and Bruce Betts as they dive deep into space science and exploration. The monthly Space Policy Edition takes you inside the DC beltway where the future of the US space program hangs in the balance. Visit planetary.org/radio for an episode guide and much more.

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

Planetary Radio brings you the human adventure across our solar system and beyond. We visit each week with the scientists, engineers, leaders, advocates, and astronauts taking us across the final frontier. Regular features raise your space IQ while they put a smile on your face. Join host Sarah Al-Ahmed and Planetary Society colleagues including Bill Nye, the Science Guy, and Bruce Betts, chief scientist for The Planetary Society, as they dive deep into the latest space news. The monthly Space Policy Edition takes you inside the DC beltway with Casey Dreier and Jack Kiraly to discuss the politics of space exploration in the US and advocacy actions you can take to support the missions that matter. Visit planetary.org/radio for the space trivia contest, an episode guide, and much more.

Planetary Radio brings you the human adventure across our solar system and beyond. We visit each week with the scientists, engineers, leaders, advocates, and astronauts taking us across the final frontier. Regular features raise your space IQ while they put a smile on your face. Join host Sarah Al-Ahmed and Planetary Society colleagues including Bill Nye, the Science Guy, and Bruce Betts, chief scientist for The Planetary Society, as they dive deep into the latest space news. The monthly Space Policy Edition takes you inside the DC beltway with Casey Dreier and Jack Kiraly to discuss the politics of space exploration in the US and advocacy actions you can take to support the missions that matter. Visit planetary.org/radio for the space trivia contest, an episode guide, and much more.

Sir Peter Beck adds to the story told about his hugely successful and innovative company in “The Launch of Rocket Lab,” a beautifully illustrated, monumental book.

Book Club Edition: Founder and CEO Peter Beck on The Launch of Rocket Lab

On Friday, April 13, 2029, asteroid Apophis will pass closer to Earth than our geostationary satellites. While NASA, ESA, and JAXA are all sending missions, a team of students at the University of Maryland is building their own spacecraft to join the fleet. TERP RAPTOR is a CubeSat-based mission roughly the size of a microwave that aims to fly past the asteroid and snap images of its surface as it approaches Earth. Four members of the team join Planetary Radio: Adrienne Rudolph, the Student Principal Investigator; Elena Wu, the Lead Project Manager; Tyler Autrey, the Mechanical, Structure, and Materials Lead; and Alexander Williams, the Propulsion Lead. Together, they talk about how a graduate class project turned into a real mission, what they hope to learn about this potentially hazardous asteroid, and why they're not letting anyone tell them it can't be done.

Then, Bruce Betts joins us for What's Up, where we mark the deployment anniversary of The Planetary Society's own CubeSat-based solar sail mission, LightSail 2.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-terp-raptor

On Friday, April 13, 2029, asteroid Apophis will pass closer to Earth than our geostationary satellites. While NASA, ESA, and JAXA are all sending missions, a team of students at the University of Maryland is building their own spacecraft to join the fleet. TERP RAPTOR is a CubeSat-based mission roughly the size of a microwave that aims to fly past the asteroid and snap images of its surface as it approaches Earth. Four members of the team join Planetary Radio: Adrienne Rudolph, the Student Principal Investigator; Elena Wu, the Lead Project Manager; Tyler Autrey, the Mechanical, Structure, and Materials Lead; and Alexander Williams, the Propulsion Lead. Together, they talk about how a graduate class project turned into a real mission, what they hope to learn about this potentially hazardous asteroid, and why they're not letting anyone tell them it can't be done.
Then, Bruce Betts joins us for What's Up, where we mark the deployment anniversary of The Planetary Society's own CubeSat-based solar sail mission, LightSail 2.
Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-terp-raptor">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-terp-raptor</a>

A team of University of Maryland students is building a CubeSat to fly past asteroid Apophis during its historic close approach to Earth in 2029. Four members of the TERP RAPTOR team join us to share how they're turning a classroom project into a real space mission.

TERP RAPTOR: A student-built mission to asteroid Apophis

Two hot Jupiters presented at the 248th American Astronomical Society meeting push our understanding of exoplanet atmospheres to the extreme. Research Scientist Tiffany Kataria from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory shares new JWST observations of HD80606 b, the "Roasted Planet,”a gas giant on one of the most eccentric orbits ever discovered. Assistant Professor Lisa Dang of the University of Waterloo joins to discuss CoRoT-2 b, a young, inflated hot Jupiter whose hottest point shows up in an unexpected location on the exoplanet, possibly because the planet hasn't fully tidally locked with its star yet. Then Chief Scientist Bruce Betts joins for What's Up to explore atmospheric super-rotation, winds that outrun the worlds they ride on.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-hot-jupiters

Two hot Jupiters presented at the 248th American Astronomical Society meeting push our understanding of exoplanet atmospheres to the extreme. Research Scientist Tiffany Kataria from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory shares new JWST observations of HD80606 b, the "Roasted Planet,&rdquo;a gas giant on one of the most eccentric orbits ever discovered. Assistant Professor Lisa Dang of the University of Waterloo joins to discuss CoRoT-2 b, a young, inflated hot Jupiter whose hottest point shows up in an unexpected location on the exoplanet, possibly because the planet hasn't fully tidally locked with its star yet. Then Chief Scientist Bruce Betts joins for What's Up to explore atmospheric super-rotation, winds that outrun the worlds they ride on.
Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-hot-jupiters">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-hot-jupiters</a>

Research Scientist Tiffany Kataria of NASA JPL and Assistant Professor Lisa Dang of the University of Waterloo talk about two extreme hot Jupiters from the American Astronomical Society meeting.

Hot Jupiters: The ‘Roasted Planet’ and the wrong-way hotspot

It may be the best book subtitle we’ve encountered in the Planetary Society book club: “Particles, Poetry and the Cosmic Dream Boogie.” Theoretical physicist and black feminist science theorist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein has followed her acclaimed first book, “The Disordered Cosmos,” with this new, equally celebrated, deeply personal romp across the Universe, “The Edge of Space-Time”.  Swinging from quantum mechanics to hip-hop, and from galaxies to Alice in Wonderland, she guides us through the looking glass to what we know and would love to know about the Universe. It all but guaranteed a mind-bending conversation with host Mat Kaplan that begins with Chanda’s concern for the state of scientific research in the United States, and ends among the stars.  

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-chandra-prescod-weinstein

It may be the best book subtitle we&rsquo;ve encountered in the Planetary Society book club: &ldquo;Particles, Poetry and the Cosmic Dream Boogie.&rdquo; Theoretical physicist and black feminist science theorist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein has followed her acclaimed first book, &ldquo;The Disordered Cosmos,&rdquo; with this new, equally celebrated, deeply personal romp across the Universe, &ldquo;The Edge of Space-Time&rdquo;.&nbsp; Swinging from quantum mechanics to hip-hop, and from galaxies to Alice in Wonderland, she guides us through the looking glass to what we know and would love to know about the Universe. It all but guaranteed a mind-bending conversation with host Mat Kaplan that begins with Chanda&rsquo;s concern for the state of scientific research in the United States, and ends among the stars.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/bce-chandra-prescod-weinstein">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-chandra-prescod-weinstein</a>

Theoretical physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein visits the club for a mind-bending conversation about her brilliant, deeply personal exploration of the Cosmos.

Book Club Edition: Founder and CEO Peter Beck on The Launch of Rocket Lab

In 1 playlist(s)

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips