Mark Rocket | |
|---|---|
| 👁 Image Rocket in 2025 | |
| Born | Mark Stevens |
| Citizenship | New Zealand |
| Occupations | Entrepreneur, aerospace executive |
| Known for | Founder of Kea Aerospace, seed investor in Rocket Lab |
| Title | CEO of Kea Aerospace |
Mark Rocket (né Stevens)[1] is a New Zealand entrepreneur, aerospace executive, and the founder and CEO of Kea Aerospace. He was a seed investor and co-director of Rocket Lab from 2007 to 2011. Rocket became the first New Zealander to reach space through a suborbital flight with Blue Origin on the New Shepard NS-32 mission in 2025.
Career
[edit]Rocket founded two Internet companies in 1998 and sold one in 2006. He was a seed investor in Rocket Lab and served as a co-director from 2007 to 2011.[2] In 2018, he founded Kea Aerospace, a company developing solar-powered stratospheric aircraft, and serves as its CEO.[3] As of 2025, Rocket is the president of Aerospace New Zealand.[2]
Personal life
[edit]Rocket changed his surname from Stevens to Rocket in 2000.[4] That year, he set a personal goal to become the first New Zealander to reach space. In 2006, he purchased a ticket for a 2008 Virgin Galactic flight, which was intended to take him to space, but he sold the ticket after delays.[5] In 2025, Rocket secured a seat on Blue Origin's New Shepard NS-32 suborbital flight, which flew on 1 June 2025, making him the first New Zealander to reach space.[6][7][8]
References
[edit]- ^ Keall, Chris (30 September 2024). "Tech Insider: Mark Rocket on Kea Aerospace's pending $15m raise - and the contract that saw him leave Rocket Lab". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Christchurch entrepreneur to be launched into space". Otago Daily Times. 22 May 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ "Kea Aerospace completes solar-powered stratospheric flight". 1News. 12 February 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ "Christchurch aerospace entrepreneur set to become first Kiwi in space". The Press. 23 May 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
Rocket — a surname he legally adopted in 2000
- ^ "'Rocket man' hopes to be first Kiwi in space". The New Zealand Herald. 22 May 2006. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ "First Kiwi in space: Christchurch man to be on Blue Origin flight". 1News. 22 May 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ "New Shepard NS-32 Mission". blueorigin.com. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ^ "Blue Origin's New Shepard Completes 32nd Flight, Has Now Flown 64 People to Space". Blue Origin. 31 May 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
