Peter Beck, the CEO of Rocket Lab, is a man who prefers to keep his feet firmly on Earth, even though he builds rockets that fly to space. While many people dream of traveling to space, Beck is content enabling others to reach the stars. "I have a burning desire to create things to help others go to space," he says. For Beck, space is not about personal adventure—it's about innovation.

Beck, originally from New Zealand, didn’t have a college degree or connections in the space industry wh...