At 18, He Strapped a Rocket Engine to His Bike. Now He’s Taking on SpaceX

[snrkl]

After decades of tinkering, Peter Beck and Rocket Lab are poised to bring low-cost launches to the world.​

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/feat...-engine-to-his-bike-now-he-s-taking-on-spacex

 

[Incongruent]

Interesting, but I wouldn't say taking on SpaceX, as the companies operate to fill different niches.

 

[neil_w]

Headline writers always need to frame things like that. Every new phone is an "iPhone killer", every new electric car "should terrify Tesla", every new launch company is "taking on SpaceX". It's incredibly tiresome, to be honest.

 

[Nytrunner]

What's even funnier is they make a great deal of "launching more than once a month like SpaceX", but just this week, SX will have that chance to launch 3 times in what....5 days?

 

[markkoelsch]

The only competition for Space X is ULA domestically. The Russians and Arianne internationally.

There really isn't anyone else close.

 

[Ravenex]

Also SpaceX's engine is very largely 3d printed.

 

[Nytrunner]

Also SpaceX's engine is very largely 3d printed.

Specify engine lol. Superdraco's yes. Merlins/Raptor, very much not 3 printed

 

[Incongruent]

Found this:
https://www.rocketlabusa.com/latest/rocket-lab-successfully-makes-it-to-space-2/

Their engine (which is clustered in a group of nine on the first stage and one vacuum optimized on the second) is LOX/Kerosene and electronically fed. The electricity is stored in batteries.


SpaceX delivers about 150 times the payload at under 13 times the cost comparing the falcon 9 standard payment plan to the electron minimum. But that's irrelevant; they deal with different classes of satellites.
A better comparison would be of their rideshare (piggyback launching) programs but I haven't found their respective pricings, if published.