Ever heard the saying, a picture is worth a thousand words?
Well, in the world of space exploration, sometimes a single video, it can silence like a thousand tweets.
That’s true.
And that’s what today’s deep dive is all about, really.
This whole thing with Rocket Lab, it’s a fascinating case study, how they handled this PR thing.
It’s a master class, really, in communication strategy, especially with rocket science.
The stakes are already so high.
Right.
You think building rockets would be exciting enough, right?
Exactly.
Without worrying about what people are saying about you online.
It’s a volatile mix.
Public perception can flip on a dime.
And these days, with information spreading so fast, one little thing can spiral out of control.
Misinformation spreads like wildfire.
Yeah.
It’s incredible.
And that’s kind of what happened with Rocket Lab, right?
Yeah, it is.
But before we jump into all that, let’s get everyone on the same page.
So Rocket Lab, for those who don’t know, they’re doing some really cool stuff, right?
Smaller launches, more frequent.
That’s their thing.
Right.
But they’re also working on this brand new engine, the Archimedes.
Yes.
It’s going to power their new rocket, the Neutron.
This thing’s going to be bigger, way more powerful.
Exactly.
And developing those rocket engines, I mean, that’s inherently risky business, right?
Explosions happen.
Right.
Setbacks are practically guaranteed.
It’s just the nature of the beast.
So when rumors of a possible explosion during an Archimedes test started making the rounds online.
Oh, boy.
Well, you can imagine the frenzy, right?
Twitter was blowing up.
Everyone’s speculating, casting doubt on Rocket Lab and their progress.
Yeah.
It’s a tough spot to be in.
So picture this, you know?
Rocket Lab, they’re staring down this like PR nightmare, right?
A lot of companies, I think, they would panic, you know, damage control mode, putting out all these like carefully worded statements or trying to just like bury the whole thing, you know?
Right, right.
But Rocket Lab, they zig when everyone else sags.
Interesting.
They want a completely different route.
So what’d they do?
They chose transparency, like radical transparency.
Oh, so.
They released a video.
OK.
But not like some boring corporate thing, you know?
This was the Archimedes engine firing up on the test stand.
In Stennis?
Stennis Space Center.
Wow.
The whole thing roaring to life, a complete success.
Talk about show, don’t tell, right?
I mean, what’s more convincing than seeing it with your own eyes?
Exactly.
While everyone’s freaking out online, Rocket Lab’s just like, boom, here’s the proof.
Shutting down the rumor mill with hard evidence, I love it.
And it worked.
The speculation just like evaporated.
But then it gets even better.
Peter Beck, the CEO, he gets on Twitter.
Oh, I know what you’re going to say, the hot fire tweet.
You know it.
A hot fire a day keeps the critics away.
I mean, come on, that’s gold.
It’s perfect.
Yeah.
Cheeky, but it also makes a point.
They’re not hiding.
Exactly.
And he didn’t stop there.
He gave more details about their testing process, even mentioned they were swapping out different versions of the engine, SN1, SN2.
Right, which makes sense.
It’s standard practice for engine development.
Helps them keep track of progress, any tweaks they make along the way.
So not only did he address the explosion rumors head on, he also kind of schooled everyone on rocket science at the same time.
Smart move.
Builds trust, shows expertise, and, you know, drums up excitement, too.
Makes you think twice about believing everything you read on the internet.
Absolutely.
Always good to be a little skeptical.
This is where Rocket Lab really nailed it, though.
They didn’t just put out a fire.
They turned this whole thing into like a master class in how to connect with your audience, build trust, show what you stand for.
That’s huge.
In a world drowning in information, sometimes the best thing you can be is real.
And here’s where it gets really interesting, you know?
Okay.
That video we were talking about, the Archimedes firing up.
Right.
Someone spotted something kind of weird in the exhaust, like in the plume.
This guy on Twitter, Alex, he points out these green streaks.
Green streak?
Yeah, like during the engine test.
Huh, interesting.
Easy to miss, right?
Yeah, definitely.
But Peter Beck, he doesn’t shy away from it.
No way.
He goes right on Twitter, addresses it head on.
Wow.
Talks about the green streaks, says it’s a combo of like some starting fluid they use and a little bit of copper erosion.
But he’s like, don’t worry, we’re on it.
Wow, that’s impressive.
He just- Already being fixed for the next version, SN3.
That’s, I mean, talk about commitment to transparency, huh?
Right.
They could have just ignored it.
Easily.
Or given some vague answer, but no.
He went full technical.
Full technical.
That’s great.
He’s talking about T-TEB purge, copper erosion.
Right, I mean, most people, they hear that and they’re like, what?
Yeah.
But it shows they know their stuff, you know?
Exactly.
And they’re not afraid to get into the weeds a little bit.
They’re not hiding anything.
Exactly, and that makes them, I don’t know, it makes them relatable, you know?
It’s refreshing.
It is, it’s like, they’re the approachable experts, they’re excited, they want to share that.
They’re inviting us along, bumps and all.
Exactly.
And I think that’s what it all comes down to, really.
What’s that?
It’s not just that Rocket Lab was clever about it, they were genuine.
Yeah.
They took this thing that could have been bad and they turned it into, like, this moment of connection.
We made our audience, yeah.
Built trust, showed what they’re all about.
Which is huge these days.
Especially now, with so much noise out.
So much information, it’s hard to know what to believe.
Exactly, sometimes being real, that’s the most powerful thing you can do.
Couldn’t agree more.
