<story><title>New Zealand startup successfully launches rocket</title><url>http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-22/new-zealand-successfully-launches-first-rocket-into-space/9347886</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>syedkarim</author><text>I met Peter Beck (CEO&amp;#x2F;founder) at SmallSat 2014. Hat-tip for doing what he set out to do. He told me that a Ferrari was not much more than a bunch of carbon fiber, software, and fuel--and only costs $500,000. So there is no reason that a small rocket, which is also carbon fiber, software, and fuel, can&amp;#x27;t also be $500,000. Now that his launch vehicle is orbital, I&amp;#x27;m looking forward to it someday being a half-million-dollar launch vehicle.&lt;p&gt;Minor quibble: The company is over ten years old; I don&amp;#x27;t think it&amp;#x27;s quite a startup anymore.</text></comment>
<story><title>New Zealand startup successfully launches rocket</title><url>http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-22/new-zealand-successfully-launches-first-rocket-into-space/9347886</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>toomanybeersies</author><text>It&amp;#x27;s interesting seeing the difference between the publicity that SpaceX gets, and the publicity of other rocket companies like RocketLab get.&lt;p&gt;It shows how effective the PR machine for SpaceX is. RocketLabs launch is pretty significant, considering it&amp;#x27;s the first orbital launch of a rocket designed and built in a small nation.&lt;p&gt;This has barely hit the news. I guess part of the reason is that it&amp;#x27;s not in the USA, and that New Zealand isn&amp;#x27;t capable of putting nuclear warheads on top of one, unlike North Korea.</text></comment>