Rocketeers; How a Visionary Band of Business Leaders, Engineers, and Pilots is Boldly Privatizing Space

New York, N.Y.: Collins [An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers], 2007. Second printing [stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. Wendy Kagan (Author photograph). ix, [3], 305, [3] pages. Includes Acknowledgments, Illustrations (some in color), Prologue--Full Circle, Epilogue, Notes, and Index. Chapters include Space or Bust; Go!; The Homebuilt Spaceship; SpaceShipOne, Government Zero; NASA Hitches a Ride; The 200-g Roller Coaster; Orbit on a Shoestring; Budget Suites of Outer Space; Spaceport!; and The Sky's No Limit. Michael Belfiore has written the first truly definitive history of private spaceflight. His insights into the harrowing test flights of Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne and the inside tour of hotel magnate Robert Bigelow's orbital hotel project are fascinating. This book is a riveting account of how this ragtag collection of innovative thinkers, brave pilots, and bold visionaries is--right now--launching one of the most exciting new industries in history. Belfiore's eloquent writing and exhaustive reporting, as well as his imaginative projections of where this will take us all--really brings this mysterious, secretive world to life. Michael Belfiore is an author and journalist. Some of his notable works include The Department of Mad Scientists: How DARPA is Remaking Our World, published by Smithsonian Books Rocketeers] and The Way People Live - Life Aboard a Space Station. He has written numerous articles for Popular Mechanics and Popular Science. "That this story is still unfolding makes it especially exciting to read. These men are still in their workshops, tinkering their way into orbit." —David Gelles, FORBES. On June 21, 2004, SpaceShipOne, built by aircraft designer Burt Rutan, entered space and ushered in the commercial space age. Investment capital began to pour into the new commercial spaceflight industry. Richard Branson's VirginGalactic plans to ferry space tourists out of the atmosphere. Las Vegas hotelier Robert Bigelow is developing the world's first commercial space station (i.e., space hotel). These space entrepreneurs, including Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, now see space as the next big thing. In Rocketeers, Michael Belfiore goes behind the scenes of this nascent industry, capturing its wild-west, anything-goes flavor. Likening his research to "hanging out in the Wright brothers' barn," Belfiore offers an inspiring and entertaining look at the people who are not afraid to make their bold dreams a reality. "The commercial space race is heating up so fast you need a cheat sheet to keep track of all the billionaires and gamblers vying to be the first private entrepreneur to blast paying customers into orbit. [Belfiore] does a stellar job introducing an intriguing cast of characters." —Mark Horowitz, Wired. "The privatization of space travel is an essential step toward realizing our cosmic destiny. In his engaging, highly readable Rocketeers, Michael Belfiore tells the fascinating story of the entrepreneurs who have already made it happen." —Buzz Aldrin. "A riveting, you-are-there account of how this ragtag collection of innovative thinkers, brave pilots, and bold visionaries is—right now—launching one of the most exciting new industries in history. Belfiore's eloquent writing and exhaustive reporting really bring this mysterious, secretive world to life." —Eric Adams, Popular Science.