First Kiwi to go to space launches Canterbury aerospace hub episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 6, 2026 · 5 MIN

First Kiwi to go to space launches Canterbury aerospace hub

from Checkpoint

The first New Zealander to go to space is now launching what is hoped will be a hub for Aerospace in Canterbury. New Zealand's space sector already supports a total of 17,000 full-time equivalent jobs according to a 2025 report. Entrepreneur, Mark Rocket would like to see that grow and he has a track record in the industry having been involved in the early days of RocketLab and Virgin Galactic. Now CEO of Kea Aerospace, they are working on a solar-powered aircraft capable of flying into the stratosphere for research. Mark Rocket spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 6, 2026

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First Kiwi to go to space launches Canterbury aerospace hub

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