An Instant New York Times Bestseller
The inspiration for the HBO Original documentary Wild Wild Space, now streaming on Max
A momentous look at the private companies building a revolutionary new economy in space, from the New York Times bestselling author of Elon Musk
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 new space race and the Wild West of aerospace engineering, and its unprecedented impact on our lives.
With the launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 1 rocket in 2008, Silicon Valley began to realize that the universe itself was open for business. Now, Vance tells the remarkable, unfolding story of this frenzied intergalactic land grab—a tale of high-stakes space entrepreneurship—by following four pioneering companies—Astra, Firefly, Planet Labs, and Rocket Lab—as they build new space systems and attempt to launch rockets and satellites into orbit by the thousands.
With the public fixated on the space tourism being driven by the likes of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson, these new, scrappy companies arrived with a different set of goals: to make rocket and satellite launches fast and cheap, thereby opening Earth’s lower orbit for a new commercial space industry. Vance has had a front-row seat and singular access to this peculiar and unprecedented moment in history, and he chronicles it all in full color: the top-secret launch locations, communes, gun-toting bodyguards, drugs, espionage investigations, and multimillionaires guzzling booze to dull the pain as their fortunes disappear.
Through immersive and intimate reporting, When the Heavens Went on Sale reveals the spectacular chaos of the new business of space, and what happens when the idealistic, ambitious minds of Silicon Valley turn their unbridled vision toward the limitless expanse of the stars. This is the tale of technology’s most pressing and controversial revolution—a gripping work of narrative nonfiction told through fascinating characters chasing unimaginable stakes in the race to space.
- Silicon Valley Startups: Follow the turbulent journeys of four pioneering companies—Astra, Firefly, Planet Labs, and Rocket Lab—as they challenge the old guard of aerospace.
- The New Business of Space: Discover the real goal beyond space tourism: to make satellite launches fast and cheap, opening up a new economy in lower Earth orbit.
- Investigative Journalism: Gain unprecedented access to a world of top-secret launch sites, high-stakes espionage, and multimillionaires risking it all on the next frontier.
- High-Tech Revolution: A must-read for anyone fascinated by technology, Ashlee Vance reveals what happens when ambitious, idealistic minds aim for the stars.
Ashlee Vance is the New York Times bestselling author of Elon Musk and a feature writer at Bloomberg Businessweek. He's also the host of Hello World, a travel show that centers on inventors and scientists all over the planet. Previously, he worked as a reporter for The New York Times, The Economist, and The Register.
