{"product_id":"space-race-20-spacex-blue-origin-virgin-galactic-nasa-and-the-privatization-of-the-final-frontier-9780760375549","title":"Space Race 2.0: Spacex, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, Nasa, and the Privatization of the Final Frontier","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpace Race 2.0 \u003c\/i\u003eis the only authoritative photographic history of the efforts of private companies--often alongside NASA--to accelerate humankind's exploration and understanding of the final frontier.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The private space sector is growing tremendously. The industry's consensus leader, \u003cb\u003eSpaceX\u003c\/b\u003e, headed by outspoken billionaire \u003cb\u003eElon Musk\u003c\/b\u003e, is today worth an estimated $74 billion. And SpaceX and its chief competitors, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, are taking on more roles--flying cargo, supplies, and astronauts to outer space. \u003ci\u003eSpace Race 2.0\u003c\/i\u003e tells their story with \u003cb\u003eexpertly written text by science journalist Brad Bergan \u003c\/b\u003eand \u003cb\u003estunning photography of the spacecraft\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003ekey players\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eand facilities \u003c\/b\u003ein California, Texas, and Florida. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In the 1950s and '60s, the first Space Race pitted two political ideologies against one another: either Communism or Capitalism would prove superior. Ultimately, the US landed on the moon, the race's crowning achievement. Now, more than a half-century later, \u003cb\u003ethe Space Race has pivoted\u003c\/b\u003e from a contest between ideological rivals to private aerospace firms competing for contracts. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Today, \u003cb\u003erather than symbolic goals motivated by patriotism\u003c\/b\u003e, the defining success of a launch system extends beyond engineering and science to \u003cb\u003eimage and ROI\u003c\/b\u003e. Founded in 2002, SpaceX's trajectory was determined by Musk's realization that he could achieve higher profits by vertically integrating--manufacturing his own rockets and spacecraft--rather than relying on third parties. The decision was prescient, resulting in a state-of-the-art headquarters in Hawthorne, California, and a series of \u003cb\u003estunning achievements\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpace Race 2.0 \u003c\/i\u003efollows \u003cb\u003ethe development of commercial space exploration to the present\u003c\/b\u003e. While tentative first steps in private ventures are covered, such as those by Space Services Inc. and Orbital Science in the 1980s and '90s, the focus is on today's major players: \u003cb\u003eSpaceX\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eBlue Origin \u003c\/b\u003e(headed by Amazon founder \u003cb\u003eJeff Bezos\u003c\/b\u003e), and \u003cb\u003eVirgin Galactic \u003c\/b\u003e(founded by \u003cb\u003eRichard Branson\u003c\/b\u003e). While examining the hardware, Bergan also explores such considerations as the importance of design-forward equipment and the endgame: what ultimately is \"in it\" for firms at the forefront? Natural resources? \u003cb\u003eNASA \u003c\/b\u003eand \u003cb\u003eESA \u003c\/b\u003econtracts? Commercial travel? Communications? And what legal boundaries, if any, restrain corporate interests in space? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpace Race 2.0\u003c\/i\u003e is \u003cb\u003ethe ultimate visual look at this relatively young industry\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003elooking back\u003c\/b\u003e at recent remarkable decades--\u003cb\u003eand ahead to what the future might bring\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBrad Bergan\u003c\/b\u003e is a former executive editor at Immutable Holdings and a former senior editor at \u003ci\u003eInteresting Engineering \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eFuturism\u003c\/i\u003e, specializing in space, finance, and crypto. His words have appeared in or on \u003ci\u003eVICE\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e3: AM Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe World Economic Forum\u003c\/i\u003e, the National Book Critics Circle, and elsewhere. With investigative journalism cited in \u003ci\u003eBloomberg\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eDiscover\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eNBC News\u003c\/i\u003e, and several appearances on national radio, he holds degrees in philosophy and English from the University of Iowa, and studied graduate-level creative writing at The New School. He lives in New York.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Motorbooks International","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50864080978194,"sku":"9780760375549","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_e572ea28-48e8-4740-81ca-b177a23ffa37.jpg?v=1737650762","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/space-race-20-spacex-blue-origin-virgin-galactic-nasa-and-the-privatization-of-the-final-frontier-9780760375549","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}