Spacex

The private space industry's consensus leader, SpaceX, headed by controversial billionaire Elon Musk, was worth an estimated $187 billion in 2023 while taking on more roles--flying cargo, supplies, and astronauts to outer space, and even playing a central role as rocket supplier to NASA's Artemis moon mission. In SpaceX: Elon Musk and the Final Frontier, science journalist and editor Brad Bergan tells the story of SpaceX with words and 200+ stunning photographs of the spacecraft, key players, and facilities in California, Texas, and Florida. Bergan examines every detail surrounding SpaceX's efforts to accelerate humankind's exploration and understanding of outer space, including: The personal and private forces that led Musk to form the company; The business of private space exploration, including contracts with other private firms and NASA; Chief rivals, including Blue Origin, founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos; SpaceX roles in missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Bergan also covers some of SpaceX's controversial headlines, from space junk to failed test launches and the Starlink satellite constellation. While examining the business, the missions, and the hardware, Bergan looks at the importance of design-forward equipment and, finally, the endgame: what ultimately is "in it" for SpaceX? SpaceX: Elon Musk and the Final Frontier is the ultimate visual look at a groundbreaking company, with an eye toward its relatively short past--and a critical eye toward its possible dominion in deep space.