When the Heavens Went on Sale The Misfits and Geniuses Racing to Put Space Within Reach

"[An] exciting account...[Vance] provides finely observed portraits of the figures behind the aerospace companies...The focus on figures outside the limelight offers a fresh look at the new space race, and Vance's feels-like-you're-there storytelling captures the 'spectacular madness' of the moonshots. It's The Right Stuff for the silicon age." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The spectacle of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and other technology scions shooting themselves into space may give you the idea that the whole experience is an ego trip, but Vance, the author of a best-selling biography of Musk, encourages readers to think bigger. He follows four companies - Astra, Firefly, Planet Labs and Rocket Lab - in this interplanetary land grab, all with the hope of making Earth's lower orbit the next site of technological innovation." - New York Times ("19 Works of Nonfiction to Read This Spring")

"The book chronicles an enthralling Wild West of ego, idealism, and regulation-skirting greed, where soaring dreams are weighed down by economics and physics. CEOs, investors, engineers, and welders alike are smitten, but their efforts yield mostly pedestrian tools that track cargo ships, measure crop growth, or make phone calls. Still, the projects keep multiplying. "Something about space," Vance writes, "allows humans to perceive themselves as being part of a timeless story and casting their lot in with the infinite." - Harvard Business Review

"Well-researched and insightful. . . . An excellent addition to science or biography collections." - Library Journal

"Full of colorful people, risky investments, and teachable explosions, Vance's book is fascinating..." - Philadelphia Inquirer

"Ashlee Vance writes about a new kind of space race marked by private companies launching rockets and putting a massive number of satellites into orbit. The characters behind this new fight to dominate the skies are just as interesting as the ones [Tom] Wolfe wrote about decades ago. . . .Vance's behind-the-scenes access to the companies helps explain the challenges the private space industry faces and propels the book along as he describes failed rocket launches and globe-trotting investors." - Associated Press

"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

"Vance's book is an exuberant ride, happily hopping around the Pacific Rim from Kwajalein Atoll to California, from New Zealand to Kodiak Island, reveling in the do-it-yourself ethos of the new space business. . . . Vance makes a good case that the new generation of space entrepreneurs has managed to set up the launchpad. Most of the mission is still ahead - but listen closely and you can start to hear the countdown." - New York Times Book Review

"A fascinating read about an emerging, rapidly changing industry . . . . If, for any reason, you thought the people in the space industry were boring, When the Heavens Went on Sale will make it clear they far from it." - The Space Review

"Exhuberant." - Washington Post

"[A] fantastic new book . . . I can highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in space, especially if you want to know how space startups work behind the public promises and marketing . . . [When the Heavens Went on Sale] provides real insight into these companies and the people who toil in them." - Ars Technica

"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 Breaker

"A new testament for New Space, and an eloquent, expertly-reported ode to the swaggering geniuses who are opening the final frontier." - Brad Stone, bestselling author of The Everything Store and Amazon Unbound

"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

"[An] energetic account...[Vance] ably captures 'the spectacular madness of it all.' With enthusiasm and solid research, this book is an entertaining, informative look at cutting-edge technology." - Kirkus

"Through incisive reporting and colorful prose, Ashlee Vance takes us on a thrilling ride to the outer limits of human achievement." - Sheelah Kolhatkar, New Yorker staff writer and bestselling author of Black Edge

"The book is an illuminating romp through an industry marinated in the signature mix of starry idealism and ruthless capitalism brewed in Silicon Valley in the second half of the 20th century." - The Economist