Includes bibliographical references (pages 258-269) and index.

Introduction
Adventure capitalism
The rocket-industrial complex
The rocket monopoly
The Internet guy
Friday afternoon space club
The tyranny of the rocket
Never a straight answer
A method of reaching extreme altitudes
Test as we fly
Change versus more of the same
Capture the flag
Space race 2.0
Reduce, reuse, recycle
Pushing the envelope
Rocket billionaires
Beyond earth orbit
Epilogue: a spacefaring civilization

The inside story of the new race to conquer space, as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos spend billions of their own money to explore the final frontier. For the larger-than-life personalities now staking their fortunes on the development of rocket ships, the new race to explore space could be a dead end, a lucrative opportunity -- or the key to humanity's salvation. Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos take center stage in this fast-paced narrative as they attempt to disrupt the space economy, feed their own egos, and maybe even save the world. We also meet a supporting cast of equally fascinating entrepreneurs, from the irrepressible British mogul Richard Branson to satellite Internet visionary Greg Wyler. All are united in the profound conviction that commercial space transportation will transform our world for the better. Tim Fernholz's fly-on-the-wall reporting captures an industry in the midst of disruption, as NASA seeks to preserve its ambitious space exploration program, traditional aerospace firms like Boeing and Lockheed Martin scramble to adapt to new competitors, lobbyists tussle over public funds and lawmakers try to prevent this new space race from sparking global conflict. With privileged access to top executives at SpaceX, including Musk himself, as well as at Blue Origin, NASA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Orbital ATK, Virgin Galactic, Fernholz spins this high-stakes marathon into a riveting tale of rivalry and survival.