When the Heavens Went on Sale: The Misfits and Geniuses Racing to Put Space Within Reach

Product Information

Firefly Aerospace philosophy - Focus on the very next thing and don't plan too far ahead. One of the founders of Firefly was ex-SpaceX and he learned from Elon Musk to focus on finishing the very next thing and not to plan to far in the future. Cause then you spend your time just making plans and nothing else and also you don't focus on the here and now. Focusing on the very next thing is what will get you to your end goal. destination. One big revelation about this book and the big takeaway from this book is the space infrastructure that surrounds our planet and the coming space infrastructure that will increase in this decade and beyond. There is currently about 5000 satellites surrounding the Earth. By the end of the decade, it is predicated the amount of satellites surrounding Earth will increase to 50,000 - 100,000. That's a lot! There are couple type of satellites around surrouding Earth: Weather Satellites, Imaging satellites that take photos of the Earth, Internet satellites that shoot internet down to the ground allowing anyone to connect to the internet no matter how remote they are (like Starlink), ones that anyone to do phone call by satellites, GPS, and even more. All these type of satellites already improve our lives and we don't think about it that much. And there are even more satellites going up within the next decade. Similar to how electronics improved every few years, the electronics in satellites also improve and we will have improved satellites Space.com: How much of an influence did NASA have on early commercial space activity, especially with the space shuttle and programs like commercial cargo on the International Space Station? Before we look at these companies’ pursuits, let’s first see what they have in common and how these traits have changed the space industry forever.

The public will better appreciate that after reading When the Heavens Went on Sale, the new book by Ashlee Vance, who previously wrote a biography of Elon Musk (see “Review: Elon Musk”, The Space Review, May 18, 2015.) Here, SpaceX and Musk play only cameo roles. The book is instead, arguably, about the rise of a new generation of startups enabled or inspired by SpaceX’s successes. It is, though, just as much a portrait of the diverse cast of characters that created and worked at those companies. A momentous look at the private companies driving the revolutionary new space race, from the 3-million copy, New York Times bestselling author of Elon Musk But here's the best part: these companies aren’t simply out there for interplanetary colonization or moon tourism. Nope, these companies have their feet firmly planted on good ol' planet Earth. They're all about improving our lives via Earth-forward endeavors like climate change, resource management, and environmental monitoring. Each company uses space technology uniquely to gain valuable insights to help us better understand our planet and make informed, future-ready decisions. A very interesting and comprehensive (read: very long) journalistic profile of four lower profile (read: not founded by Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk) consumer space companies that have arisen in the last ~10-20 years and have had varying fortunes:So, if you're simply fascinated by Silicon Valley’s bold entrepreneurial spirit in the space arena or can't help but gaze at the night sky wondering about the cosmos, you're in for a treat. In this book by Ashlee Vance’s When the Heavens Went on Sale, we’ll explore how four pioneering aerospace companies are shaping this booming industry and the future of space exploration. Fascinating people abound in the book, to the point that sometimes they crowd out some of the technical details. In the section about Planet, for example, Vance discusses that the early Dove satellites suffered many technical problems, from overheating to a change in focus of the camera lenses, that the company did not publicly discuss but raised questions, according to one employee, about whether the whole concept of cheap, mass-manufactured imaging cubesats would work. Planet overcame those problems, but the book elides that troubleshooting process.

In When the Heavens Went on Sale, Ashlee Vance illuminates our future and unveils the next big technology story of our time: welcome to the Wild West of aerospace engineering and its unprecedented impact on our lives. The frenzied race by stargazing entrepreneurs to build a new economy in space is one of the most exciting tales of our time. Ashlee Vance, with his immersive reporting and exuberant writing, has captured the ambition and idealism of the colorful characters who are not only transforming our world but our heavens. It's the next tech frontier, and Vance turns it into a thriller." —Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Steve Jobs and The Code Breaker Space.com: Do you have a favorite story in the book highlighting international space outside of the United States? I found this to be more of a cheerleading ramble than a serious look into the “Race for Space” ownership that is currently happening. I appreciate that several private companies are working hard to master space travel, but what does that mean to the vast majority of the population of the Earth? Not much. I know NASA scientists and the corporations that worked with them have paved the way to our modern age (cell phones and the computers that are an integral part of them, and so much, much more) but I get the feeling that only a select few of these pioneers will garner profits from this race. Rather than fixating on colonizing Mars, Kemp has stated that he wants Astra to empower Earthly living. In other words, Astra aims to enable a new generation of pioneers to build and innovate in space for the greater good of humanity down below them.

Select a format:

Imagine the limitless possibilities of the Internet, but now transpose that to the boundless expanse of space. That's the playground we're talking about. A new Wild West, not of horse-riding outlaws and gold rushes, but of aerospace engineering and visionary startups powered by private money. Those quibbles aside, the book is a fascinating read about an emerging, rapidly changing industry were success remains uncertain (Vance noted in the epilogue that there was a chance one of more of the companies profiled would not exist by the time the book was published; fortunately, all four are still around, although Astra is struggling financially.) If, for any reason, you thought the people in the space industry were boring, When the Heavens Went on Sale will make it clear they far from it. An] exciting account…[Vance] provides finely observed portraits of the figures behind the aerospace companies…The focus on figures outside the limelight offers a fresh look at the new space race, and Vance's feels-like-you're-there storytelling captures the "spectacular madness" of the moonshots. It's The Right Stuff for the silicon age." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) I suppose I should have spent more time thinking about what “The Misfits, etc” meant on the cover. Looking at it now I realize this book was to be just a pep rally for the big names involved in the project. The frenzied race by stargazing entrepreneurs to build a new economy in space is one of the most exciting tales of our time. Ashlee Vance, with his immersive reporting and exuberant writing, has captured the ambition and idealism of the colourful characters who are not only transforming our world but our heavens. It's the next tech frontier, and Vance turns it into a thriller Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of STEVE JOBS

Well-researched and insightful. . . . An excellent addition to science or biography collections.” — Library Journal

Customer reviews

One of the most exciting tales of our time... It's the next tech frontier, and Vance turns it into a thriller' Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs So, forget the old notion of space exploration that’s confined to bureaucratic government agencies. These four companies are shaking things up and showing us that space is for everyone. They’re empowering us all to aim for the stars while keeping our sights on making Earth a better place.