Rocket Billionaires

Highly readable account of the current business of space exploration. As a (retired) finance professor, I greatly appreciated the fairly detailed financial analysis. As a physics graduate, I wish there had been more about the physics involved in spacecraft development. Whilst I'm happy to allot 5* to this, I do wonder whether the very favourable light shone on SpaceX, compared with its competitors, is because (a) SpaceX genuinely deserve this, or (b) the much greater flow of information and access from that company has had an effect.

Fernholz does a great job at developing a compelling narrative about the brief history of New Space. While a large extent of the book is centered around the "rocket billionaires", a wider perspective on the context in which commercial space has evolved in recent years is also provided. I especially enjoyed learning about how NASA has changed in response to the pioneerism of Musk and Bezos. The author makes no effort to hide his admiration for SpaceX and Blue Origin, which might be reflected in his depiction of their more established competitors. Biased or not, that does not compromise the quality of a well-researched book mostly based on first-hand interviews. Without any doubt, a mandatory reading for anyone interested in New Space that also happens to be entertaining for a broader audience.

Very interesting read. Written so it is fun to read. Lots of information dished up without getting boring.

Good reading. Private money is what's needed.

The story of how the civilian billionaires have shown how bad the government and their partner companies waste $100 billions of tax dollars