MTS(@MTSlive):Rocket Lab CEO @Peter_J_Beck says reusable rockets aren’t new, the Space Shuttle proved that in the ’70s, but the economics never worked until recently: "I think people forget the space shuttle. The space shuttle was a reusable launch vehicle, designed back in the '70s. It's just unfortunate that the reusability didn't deliver on its cost targets. It was more expensive to almost reuse it." "What's unique now is it has been demonstrated, and the economics have been demonstrated." "You have a giant rocket full of fuel, and it puts all of that energy to go up. Newton's third law, you're gonna have the exact same energy coming back down, so you have to dissipate all of that energy. It's a re-entry and control problem." @RocketLab

2026.09.22 01:12

Rocket Lab CEO @Peter_J_Beck says reusable rockets aren’t new, the Space Shuttle proved that in the ’70s, but the economics never worked until recently: "I think people forget the space shuttle. The space shuttle was a reusable launch vehicle, designed back in the '70s. It's just unfortunate that the reusability didn't deliver on its cost targets. It was more expensive to almost reuse it." "What's unique now is it has been demonstrated, and the economics have been demonstrated." "You have a giant rocket full of fuel, and it puts all of that energy to go up. Newton's third law, you're gonna have the exact same energy coming back down, so you have to dissipate all of that energy. It's a re-entry and control problem." @RocketLab