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: 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

Vance has delivered that rare book that educates and entertains while opening the reader up to a brand-new universe of wonderful characters and ideas. It's non-fiction that reads like a novel." —Andy Weir, New York Times bestselling author of The Martian and Project Hail Mary One of the best books ever written about NewSpace . . . An incredibly entertaining account of today's space industry . . . Well-written and thrilling . . . When the Heavens Went on Sale is a timely read that introduces readers to the exciting business of launching small satellites. The space-based economy is just getting started National Space Society When the Heavens Went on Sale: The Misfits and Geniuses Racing to Put Space Within Reach (2023) by Ashlee Vance. Space.com: Many readers will remember you from your best-selling biography " Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future " (Ecco, 2017), about Elon Musk. If you were to do an update to the book today, what sort of information would you emphasize or want to include? Vance also explores the broader implications of this new space era, both for humanity and for the planet. He examines the potential benefits and risks of opening up space to more players, such as democratizing access to information, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, creating new industries and jobs, but also increasing orbital debris, disrupting astronomy, and sparking geopolitical conflicts. He also raises some ethical and philosophical questions about our relationship with space, such as what it means to be a spacefaring civilization, who owns and governs space, and what are our responsibilities towards other life forms.Vance: Well, it's an area that I focus on less clearly in the book, and less in general. I just get so much more excited about low Earth orbit, because I think that's where the action is really taking place. I find a lot of this other stuff interesting and worthwhile but just so long term. Picture this: hundreds of small, inexpensive satellites fly in formation, snapping pictures of every nook and cranny of our planet on a daily basis. Sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel, right? But that’s exactly what Planet Labs is achieving right now.

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 BreakerSo, 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.

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. A momentous look at the private companies driving a revolutionary new economy in space, from the New York Times bestselling author of Elon Musk 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?A momentous look at the private companies driving a revolutionary new economy in space, from the New York Times bestselling author of Elon Musk Vance has had a front-row seat and singular access to this peculiar and unprecedented moment in history. When the Heavens Went on Sale travels through private company headquarters, labs, and top-secret launch locations around the world, including California, Texas, Alaska, New Zealand, Ukraine, India, and French Guiana. He chronicles it all in full color: the private jets, communes, gun-toting bodyguards, drugs, espionage investigations, and multimillionaires guzzling booze to dull the pain as their fortunes disappear. 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