Praise for Rocketeers
That this story is still unfolding makes it especially exciting to read.... Throughout, Belfiore's writing is lucid and energetic, and his passion for all things space-related makes even technical discussions of aerodynamics easy reading.
—David Gelles, October 2, 2007
The combination of lavish investment, entrepreneurial zeal and technological inventiveness may well give a big lift to nongovernmental efforts at space exploration. Mr. Belfiore does a terrific job of capturing the dream-chasing that is already under way. If we ever see cities on the moon or Mars—the kind of thing science fiction once promised so enticingly—I'm betting that the lion's share of credit will go not to NASA but to 21st-century rocketeers.
—Glenn Reynolds, Sunday, July 29, 2007
Library Journal (starred review)
This readable and compelling account of commercial spaceflight opens at the Mojave Desert October 4, 2004, X Prize competition for the first private U.S. space launch, then traces the new space entrepreneurs' time line backward and forward. [Belfiore's] engaging style and detailed notes make this an involving book. Highly recommended for public and academic collections.
—Sara Tompson, August 15, 2007
8 out of 10 stars for Rocketeers
The commercial space race is heating up so fast, you need a cheat sheet to keep track of all the billionaires and gamblers vying to be the first private entrepreneur to blast paying customers into orbit. The author does a stellar job introducing an intriguing cast of characters—from Virgin Galactic's Richard Branson to Robert Bigelow, who's building the first hotel in space.
—Mark Horowitz, August, 2007
Advance praise for Rocketeers
"My walk on the moon was an important beginning, but the privatization of space travel is an essential next step toward realizing our cosmic destiny. In his engaging, highly readable Rocketeers, Michael Belfiore tells the fascinating story of the entrepreneurs who have already made it happen."
—Buzz Aldrin, astronaut, Apollo 11
"Michael Belfiore has written the first truly definitive history of private spaceflight. His insights into the harrowing test flights of Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne and the inside tour of hotel magnate Robert Bigelow's orbital hotel project are fascinating. Rocketeers is a riveting, you-are-there account of how this ragtag collection of innovative thinkers, brave pilots, and bold visionaries is—right now—launching one of the most exciting new industries in history. Belfiore's eloquent writing and exhaustive reporting—as well as his imaginative projections of where this will take us all—really bring this mysterious, secretive world to life."
—Eric Adams, Senior Editor, Popular Science
"The U.S. manned space program fired the imagination of the entire world in the 1960s and 1970s. More recently, the space industry has changed the world with communications satellites, and NASA has changed our understanding of our solar system and the universe with its space science probes. However, since the 70s, manned space exploration has stagnated, and the public has largely lost interest. Enter Rocketeers, a hugely enjoyable account of what a new breed of space enthusiasts is doing. It has enough technical detail to keep the professional interested, but is mainly about a fascinating group of overachieving dreamers who have invested their lives and fortunes on our future in space."
—Dan Erwin, Professor of Astronautics, University of Southern California
