So are we going to acknowledge Rocket Labs makes us a legitimate Russian and Chinese military target yet or not?
More great news for America’s Military Industrial Complex NZ franchisee, RocketLabs…
Next Rocket Lab launch: satellite for US Missile Defence, moon prep
Rocket Lab’s next launch will carry another military payload, and see further refinement of the ‘Photon’ platform that will help ferry a NASA satellite to the moon later this year.
The payload for the “They Go Up So Fast” mission scheduled for a mid-March launch from Mahia, will include, a “technology demonstrator for the US Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) through launch integration and program management services provider, TriSept,” Rocket Lab said in a statement
…Rocket Lab fires rockets into space for the secretive National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) this is their charming patch…
…nothing erodes faith in the check and balance of extreme power quite like a giant orange space octopus proclaiming that nothing is out of its reach. Unbeknownst to most NZers, Rocket Lab is a Military Industrial Complex franchise, not some plucky Number 8 Wire Dad Shed schlock that Rocket Lab like to project to the sleepy hobbits of Muddle Nu Zilind…
Rocket Lab’s link with the CIA’s venture capital firm was revealed in 2016 by US investigative journalism site The Intercept, but has not been reported by the New Zealand media.
Although it operates independently, In-Q-Tel invests on behalf of the CIA and the broader US intelligence community in companies whose products may have national security applications.
A document obtained by The Intercept shows that Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck spoke at a summit of In-Q-Tel portfolio companies in February 2016. Other speakers included then-FBI director James Comey. Beck earlier wrote about Rocket Lab for In-Q-Tel’s quarterly publication in 2015.
In contrast, Lockheed Martin’s investment in Rocket Lab is mentioned routinely in press coverage and was the subject of a jibe by departing Vector chairman Michael Stiassny to the Vector AGM last week.
However, the extent of Rocket Lab’s defence industry work has gone essentially unremarked. Details of this work had been removed from Rocket Lab’s website by the time the regulatory regime enabling the company’s activities in New Zealand came into law last year.
Put aside the zero public debate of whether or not we should get this close to the American Military Industrial Complex in the first place and note that no one ever explained to the NZ public how allowing Rocket Labs to launch US military satellites immediately upgrades NZ to being a legitimate military target!
Because of this, Chinese Subs and Russian Subs will legitimately sit off the East Coast of NZ targeting the launch site.
THIS is why we needed to buy 4 P-8s! Because America is able to launch military satellites from NZ, which makes us a target and we need to defend that target with sub hunting planes!
New sub-killer planes may never fire in anger but Govt wants the option
Defence Minister Ron Mark has announced the Government will buy four Boeing P-8A Poseidons to replace the defence force’s ageing fleet of P-3K Orions. The purchase has been a longtime coming.
The P-8s, known as submarine killers, mark a new era in defence procurement, with one expert calling this the most significant defence purchase in a generation.
…so under National, we signed up to a military space programme through our 5 Eyes network that has now made us a legitimate military target which we need to buy sub hunting planes and torpedoes for???
When will it be made clear to the rest of the electorate that we have done this and put everyones lives at risk by Rocket Lab making us a legitimate military target?
The funniest thing about this is the Ministerial fig leaf used to hide our militarisation of space…
Additionally, every Rocket Lab payload must now be signed off by the New Zealand Space Agency (housed within) MBIE, plus the Space Minister (currently Stuart Nash), after meeting safety criteria and passing a “national interest” test.
…according to the secret 5 Eyes space deal we signed before Labour won the 2017 election, we can use a ‘national interest’ test to justify any militarisation of space America thinks we need to have.
I don’t think the people of NZ understand this makes us a legitimate military target for Russia and China.
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If the shit hit the fan the last thing China or Russia would be doing is looking for the rule book as to who they target . We are allied with the West so wether we have this rocket lab here or not we would be a small target. We may as well allow them to be here and give up and coming wizz kids the chance to earn good money without having to go off shore . I for one am happy to take the chance.
I sure do that is for real.
You are over reacting. All I can see is a fantastic company that has kept a lot of bright young New Zealanders in the country. If I was a starting a career I would love to work for them.