Liftoff

Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days that Launched SpaceX

De: Eric Berger

Narrado por: Rob Shapiro

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

Phenomenal from start to finish!

The most in depth, insightful, and humanizing recount of SpaceX and it's employees journey from nothing. Somehow both technical and accessible away the same time and really made me feel like I was along for the ride with the team. The author and narrator did a great job of conveying the emotion (and what a rollercoaster of that it was). If you are even sightly interested in space, rockets, and spaceflight, I cannot recommend this more. (even if you're someone who doesn't see eye to eye with Elon or his companies)

Eric Berger, if you read these reviews, I'd LOVE if you made a book with this same structure about Tesla next!

amazing story

An inside look at one of the most amazing companies in the world today. Berger tells the story of SpaceX's early days vividly and with enough technical details to understand the drama. highly recommended.

VERY cool. story and telling.

great story great story telling and inspirational to learn of a person like elon musk. there might be hope for humanity if more people could get this mindset or attitude.

Incredible!!! I loved every minute of it

A truly inspiring tale of human achievement against all odds. This book details the Herculean efforts the early SpaceX team went through to succeed.

Elon gets his due, yet this book does not glorify him too much. The focus is largely placed on several other early, key individuals, and their triumphs. They suffered through several difficult failures on their way to forever changing the space industry, and opening up space for humanity!

Insightful

This is a excellent account of the early days of SpaceX. We never get the full story behind the complex reality of the what the company is doing. The attention to industry detail combined with personal accounts make this a really fascinating story. Well worth your time.

Engaging, excellent

Amazing story. The author got to talk to a lot of people who nearly killed themselves getting Falcon to fly. That kind of commitment you only see in combat

The Story of SpaceX and the team that awoke world

The most detailed and entertaining story of a startup company I've ever seen. I loved the focus placed on the entire Spacex Team and not just Elon as most other publishings. The book had me glued to the desk until I finished it. I will re-listed to it for the rest of my life!

love it.

over all a fantastic book. I have no complaints. if you like elon musk read it or listen to it.

This is a story of human beings willing the impossible into reality.

This is a must read. I must read for people that are thinking of starting a business, on a business or even plan on working for a business. This so accurately details the stress and the struggle and the release of the pay off when goals are achieved and when the impossible happens.

Excellent!

Listening to the sample led me to preempt the listening of another book.

Liftoff is exciting, dramatic and inspiring. Has parallels to a Tracy Kidder book.

Well, time to finish the other read...