Kea Aerospace achieves a major milestone with the Kea Atmos Mk1b, soaring into the stratosphere for the first time.
Mark Rocket will become the first Kiwi to visit space, taking part in a Blue Origin suborbital flight.
Rocket aims to inspire more Kiwis’ involvement in the aerospace sector, highlighting New Zealand’s potential contributions.
Rocket is the founder of Kea Aerospace, which develops solar-powered UAVs for high-altitude monitoring.
New Zealand aerospace entrepreneur Mark Rocket will become the first Kiwi to travel to space after securing a spot on an upcoming Blue Origin suborbital flight.
Six passengers, including Rocket, will board Blue Origin’s fully reusable New Shepard rocket for a suborbital flight from Texas on an unannounced date, BlueOrigin announced on Thursday.
Named NS-32, the mission will mark the space tourism company’s 12th crewed flight and 32nd mission overall using its New Shepard rocket system.
Rocket is the founder and chief executive of Christchurch-based Kea Aerospace. Established in 2018, the company works on developing sustainable aerospace technology in Aotearoa.
He’s also the current president of Aerospace New Zealand and a seed investor of Rocket Lab, co-directing the company from 2007 to 2011.
Rocket said he hopes heading skywards will inspire more New Zealanders to get involved in its fledgling aerospace sector.
Mark Rocket will become the first Kiwi to visit space, joining Blue Origin's NS-32 mission.
“This flight is a significant personal milestone and a signal that New Zealand is an active player in the global aerospace industry,” he wrote in a media release.
“We have the talent, ambition, and ingenuity to make major contributions.
“Space is no longer the domain of superpowers and science fiction. It’s an exciting frontier for innovation, climate solutions, economic opportunity, and global collaboration.”
Twenty-five years ago, Rocket pledged he’d become the first New Zealander to reach space, legally changing his surname in 2000 as a reflection of his commitment to the field.
Initially buying a ticket to board a Virgin Galactic rocket in 2006, Rocket changed to the Blue Origin programme after Virgin Galactic began experiencing delays and issues in launching its commercial spaceflights.
The five individuals joining Rocket are a group of entrepreneurs, founders and space lovers: Panama’s Jaime Alemán, Canada’s Jesse Williams and Gretchen Green, Paul Jeris and Aymette Medina Jorge from the United States.
From left: Lauren Sanchez, Katy Perry, Aisha Bowe, Kerianne Flynn, Gayle King, Amanda Nguyen were launched into space on Blue Origin's New Shepard on April 14. Photo / Blue Origin
The fully automated New Shepard rocket system carries passengers to an altitude of 100km - past the boundary of space - in a capsule, which then descends to Earth using parachutes.
The entire flight takes around 11 minutes to complete.
Speaking to 1News about Blue Origin’s announcement, Rocket said space travel is on his mind “all the time”.
“Ever since I was a kid. I’ve always been fascinated by space technology and space travel. I remember at primary school I did a project about the planets.”
He wasn’t too bothered by the quick flight time, saying “buckling in” and “getting ready to experience the 3Gs or rocket-powered flight up to space will be pretty phenomenal”.
