Liftoff

Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days that Launched SpaceX

By: Eric Berger

Narrated by: Rob Shapiro

Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

The dramatic inside story of the first four historic flights that launched SpaceX - and Elon Musk - from a shaky startup into the world's leading-edge rocket company.

In 2006, SpaceX - a brand-new venture with fewer than 200 employees - rolled its first, single-engine rocket onto a launch pad at Kwajalein Atoll. After a groundbreaking launch from the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the Falcon 1 rocket designed by Elon Musk’s engineers rose in the air for approximately 30 seconds. Then, its engine flamed out, and the rocket crashed back into the ocean.

In 2007, SpaceX undertook a second launch. This time, the rocket rose far into space, but just before reaching orbit it spun out of control. Confident of success in 2008, Musk and his team launched their third rocket with several paying customers. The first stage executed perfectly, but instead of falling away, it thudded into the second stage. Another failure. Elon Musk had only budgeted for three attempts when he founded SpaceX.

Out of money and with a single Falcon 1 rocket left in its factory, SpaceX decided to try one last, dramatic launch. Over eight weeks, engineers worked furiously to prepare this final rocket. The fate of Musk’s venture mirrored the trajectory of this slender, single-engine rocket aimed toward the skies. If it crashed and burned, so would SpaceX. In September 2008, SpaceX’s last chance for success lifted off...and accelerated like a dream, soaring into orbit flawlessly.

That success would launch a miraculous decade for the company, in which SpaceX grew from building a single-engine rocket to one with a staggering 27 engines; created two different spacecraft, and mastered reusable-rocket descents using mobile drone ships on the open seas. It marked a level of production and achievement that has not been seen since the space race of the 1960s.

But these achievements would not have been possible without SpaceX’s first four flight tests. Drawing on unparalleled access and exclusive interviews with dozens of former and current employees - engineers, designers, mechanics, and executives, including Elon Musk - Eric Berger tells the complete story of this foundational generation that transformed SpaceX into the world’s leading space company.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Eric Berger (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

The book Space X fans have been waiting for!

There’s only so much one can glean from past articles, interviews, etc. into the early days of this world changing company. This book is the deep dive many have been searching for, all to no avail until today. Lucky to live near Vandenberg where we get to witness some of the majesty of the work Elon/Space X has done, where the Falcon One first went vertical all those years ago before red tape forced the R&D to the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Born in the late 70’s so too young to have enjoyed the Apollo era, but imagine we are getting a lot of what that was to our elders generation, truly an exciting time to be alive. So thankful for the access we are provided to this program nowadays, how open they are to share the failures and successes. One thing for reference as a nearby resident, Lompoc is pronounced “Lom-poke.”

A must read

For people into space and rocketry, this tells an intimate and unique “origin story” of the company that has dramatically disrupted access to space.

Making the impossible....nominal

Space is the final frontier. Extraordinary things accomplished by extraordinary people! It’s a good time to be alive. Space X will be bigger than anything...ever.

Superb space story

Superb telling of the most stupendous space story of the century. The book lives up to Eric Berger's excellent journalism covering events in the space industry as they occur.

A story for the ages.

This story is worthy of an epic poem treatment. The difficult struggles, personal sacrifices and, ultimately, the grand achievements (and there are many) is a remarkable and almost unbelievable narrative. Except we all saw it happen. Elon is to be lauded for his singular commitment to a compelling vision: one no less than saving the human race.

Forget the bureaucracy

How I loved the narration! The story runs like a thriller, an edge of seat kind of feeling. You can see how much of a gamble it is to try to fly a rocket into orbit. And to do it as a private company struggling in a system that hadn't ever worked for smalls. But now there are many small rocket companies and everything has changed.

It's a story about engineers unconstrained by bureaucracy.

Awesome story!!

Fantastic account of SpaceX beginning!!! Highly recommend!! Makes you realize how against the odds they really were.

For all the kids that grew up reading Science Fiction..

Fantasy made real. A well written and edited narrative that would have astonished the children reading late at night by flashlight under the covers. Me among them. Now many years later I listen to this speeding through the night in my Tesla named Waldo. Thank you Elon.

Beautiful story of American ingenuity

What an enthralling story! I was so glad to hear everyone's story that was involved from the beginning. This may one day be considered one of the most significant tales of early space flight. Motivational.

Riveting

excellent performance and a story that will make you yearn to hear more. this is a great story