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SpaceX #2
Reentry: SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets that Launched a Second Space Age
How did a shaky startup that barely got its first rocket off the ground defy expectations to become the world’s leading spaceflight company? Get the untold story of the team of game-changers, led by a well-known billionaire, who are sending NASA astronauts to space—and just might carry the human race to Mars.In the 21st century, space travel has become a commercial venture. And one company dominates the modern space SpaceX, founded by controversial entrepreneur Elon Musk in 2002, and now sending more payloads into Earth orbit than the rest of the world combined. But Musk didn’t do it alone. The saga of SpaceX is the story of a diverse cadre of true believers in the limitless potential of space travel. For the first time, Reentry relates the definitive chronicle of how this daring team of risk-takers was able to redefine what it takes to reach the stars. With Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist Eric Berger, author of Liftoff, as your guide, you’ll accompany SpaceX’s innovative thinkers during their toughest trials and most audacious moments, Creating the first orbital rockets that can land by themselves and fly againTransporting a 120-ft rocket from Texas to Florida by truck via back roads Fixing a cracked engine nozzle using hand tools, just days before liftoff Sending a wheel of cheese into orbitSearching the ocean for the first rocket that splashed down intactBeing in the room where it happened—when SpaceX nearly lost big to BoeingIdentifying the $4 part that led to a rocket exploding in flightModifying a Tesla to prevent implosion in spaceFrom launchpad explosions to a pernicious cricket infestation to the harsh management style of Musk himself, the rise of SpaceX was beset with challenges and far from inevitable. Find out how a start-up that no one thought could get off the ground flew high enough to outpace their rivals . . . and where they’re going next.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2024
About the author
Eric Berger
2 books95 followersEric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from new space to NASA policy. Eric has an astronomy degree from the University of Texas and a master's in journalism from the University of Missouri. He previously worked at the Houston Chronicle for 17 years, where the paper was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2009 for his coverage of Hurricane Ike. A certified meteorologist, Eric founded Space City Weather and lives in Houston.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 16, 2024
A detailed dive into the engineering grit and sheer willpower that fueled SpaceX’s rise. Vividly captures the raw intensity of Elon Musk but more importantly his scrappy team as they battled failure after failure, pushing their ingenuity to the limits. The book makes you feel how every launch felt like life or death, and how every success was hard-won. A gripping narrative of how relentless perseverance and daring engineering rewrote the future of space travel. I also liked the fact that alongside Elon's contributions, Eric also focuses quite a bit on the efforts of the engineers on ground itself that made it happen.
August 27, 2024
I know I am not alone in being hesitant to read an arc that is at least in part about Elon Musk. I liked Twitter, and have really strongly disliked some of what Musk has said and supported over the past few years. It has almost been enough drama, mostly negative, to make me forget that Musk was also the person who started and has been running SpaceX. Thanks to this company, the science fiction I grew up reading may really be happening in my lifetime. And, since Musk was so distracted with all his non-space oriented drama, this book turns out to be mostly about SpaceX, while also acknowledging Musk's issues and limitations. I watched several of the more pivotal launches on livestreams, .so it was great reading the story of how these moments in modern science and technology happened. I do wonder if Musk can rein himself back in enough to actually stay focused on Mars, but if he can, or if someone younger and more focused can pick up where he leaves off, we may even see a Moon or Mars colony while I am still alive to see it.
October 19, 2024
Some books stand out because the information they convey is so important. Others stand out because they are so well written. This book stands out for both reasons. The story of SpaceX may be one of the most important stories in human history--especially if they succeed in getting humans to Mars. And this book tells that story in a way that won't let you stop reading.
The book is really a continuation of the author's earlier book, Liftoff. I haven't read Liftoff but I did read Ashley Vance's book on the early years of SpaceX and that prepared me adequately. It might be helpful to have read something about SpaceX and the Falcon 1 before picking up this book.
Be aware: this story has so many threads that it can't be told chronologically. So be prepared to jump backward and forward many years at a time from one chapter to the next.
The book is really a continuation of the author's earlier book, Liftoff. I haven't read Liftoff but I did read Ashley Vance's book on the early years of SpaceX and that prepared me adequately. It might be helpful to have read something about SpaceX and the Falcon 1 before picking up this book.
Be aware: this story has so many threads that it can't be told chronologically. So be prepared to jump backward and forward many years at a time from one chapter to the next.
November 13, 2024
Simply incredible. While reading the book it feels like you’re actually taken to the events that shaped SpaceX as you experience them from the perspectives of the people that turned science-fiction into a reality. While I’ve been a fan of spaceflight and SpaceX for years, this book truly made me realise and respect the sacrifices and effort put in by so many people to make it all happen.
November 15, 2024
Bingeable and neatly episodic. Berger is fantastic with his technical explanations while not being pedantic. He also unhesitatingly shares his personal opinions (eg regarding Musk’s distractions) for a balanced, nuanced view grounded in his decades of experience as a veteran space reporter.
September 26, 2024
The follow up to Berger's Liftoff, that followed SpaceX from its founding to the succesful last flight of Falcon 1, Reentry follows the Falcon 9 program, the introduction of landing and reuse of its first stage, Falcon Heavy's development, the Dragon Cargo and Crew Dragon, Starship, Starlink that has made SpaceX into a juggernaut today that is frankly eating the lunch of all its competitors. To be honest, these things make it much more interesting to me than Liftoff, however, the sheer amount of material it covers means it has less detail for every topic.
A must read for understanding where new space is headed, and why legacy aerospace is unlikely to catch up anytime soon (if ever).
A must read for understanding where new space is headed, and why legacy aerospace is unlikely to catch up anytime soon (if ever).
October 10, 2024
Similar to the first book - a lot of stories about SpaceX's achievements and it's brilliant employees. This one provides interesting details regarding competition with ULA and Boeing and cooperation with NASA.
August 17, 2024
I read a preview from the publisher and this is an excellent read in the same vein as Berger’s first book. Berger writes really well and makes the book hard to put down. I was most struck by the way NASA employees time and again opens the door for SpaceX to change the industry even as personal risk. The old industry giants however do not come if very well in this book, and when I read it the Boeing Starliner was still stuck at the space station.
September 26, 2024
Loved the behind the scenes, and the ridiculous stories.
"Duderino, we're going to rock your world" is the funniest quote in the book imo
Make sure you have your Johnny Cash, Green Day and Metallica ready if you like music while you read
Although I understand all the jumping back and forth in time for chapters was probably nessecary it did still feel a little bit disorienting
"Duderino, we're going to rock your world" is the funniest quote in the book imo
Make sure you have your Johnny Cash, Green Day and Metallica ready if you like music while you read
Although I understand all the jumping back and forth in time for chapters was probably nessecary it did still feel a little bit disorienting
October 20, 2024
This is a worthy sequel to Berger’s first offering on SpaceX, Liftoff. The tone of the book is different and Berger does a good job of explaining why in the introduction - less access and a more complex story. The book feels a bit more disorganized especially due to time jumps. Despite this challenge you get a good picture of the technical progress at SpaceX from roughly 2008 to around 2020 (when a crewed Dragon first visited ISS).
After reading the epilogue I feel a little better about Berger’s bias when it comes to his reporting on SpaceX. While he’s clearly a SpaceX fan he also admits to it and shares many of the same reservations about the state of the industry that I do. As with his writing for Ars Technica, the writing is honest and accurate but still tinged with his personal feelings and excitement with the events. I’m not used to so many “I” statements from an author in a non fiction book where the author is not at the center of events, but they are there.
The heart and soul of this book and what makes it a necessary read for anyone interested in American spaceflight today is the stories from the employees themselves. Berger tells dozens of essential tales from Hawthorne, McGregor, Starbase, and the Cape from the employees that make spaceflight magic happen. Even as an avid space news follower, many of the stories included in the book were new to me. It was fun to hear what was happening behind the scenes during years that I was on the NASA side of the fence on these programs, hoping for SpaceX to succeed but also worried about their safety approach.
I would say that Reentry’s most important achievement is putting SpaceX into the context of their strengths and weaknesses. While we are in the era of the SpaceX “steamroller” much of their core spirit has not changed (they still have the “founders mentality” as Berger puts it). Which means understanding their past experience can do a lot to help us understand what comes next - and for those of us whose own work is intertwined with SpaceX’s, inform our own communication with a very important partner.
After reading the epilogue I feel a little better about Berger’s bias when it comes to his reporting on SpaceX. While he’s clearly a SpaceX fan he also admits to it and shares many of the same reservations about the state of the industry that I do. As with his writing for Ars Technica, the writing is honest and accurate but still tinged with his personal feelings and excitement with the events. I’m not used to so many “I” statements from an author in a non fiction book where the author is not at the center of events, but they are there.
The heart and soul of this book and what makes it a necessary read for anyone interested in American spaceflight today is the stories from the employees themselves. Berger tells dozens of essential tales from Hawthorne, McGregor, Starbase, and the Cape from the employees that make spaceflight magic happen. Even as an avid space news follower, many of the stories included in the book were new to me. It was fun to hear what was happening behind the scenes during years that I was on the NASA side of the fence on these programs, hoping for SpaceX to succeed but also worried about their safety approach.
I would say that Reentry’s most important achievement is putting SpaceX into the context of their strengths and weaknesses. While we are in the era of the SpaceX “steamroller” much of their core spirit has not changed (they still have the “founders mentality” as Berger puts it). Which means understanding their past experience can do a lot to help us understand what comes next - and for those of us whose own work is intertwined with SpaceX’s, inform our own communication with a very important partner.
September 6, 2024
Elon Musk. The name itself invokes passionate feelings amongst people. Egotistical, mad, sexist, juvenile, driven, these are just a few of the terms one could use to describe him, and be perfectly accurate. However, I do love space exploration, and like it or not, Musk is the leader in pushing us forward in the area.
This book describes the history of his company, SpaceX. It's quite fascinating, actually, how far they have come so fast. They have pushed aside the other space companies, and pushed NASA into a faster and more streamlined approach to space travel. They have repeatedly delivered to the ISS, saving the United States the money (and pride) of having to rely on Russia for "hitching a ride". They have deployed thousands of their Starlink satellites, bringing the internet to millions.
BUT....would I ever want to work for him? Not a chance in heck! He demands his people work 7 days a week, 12-16 hours (or longer) shifts, accepts no excuses, and no delays. The employees might as well become Navy Seals, there are probably less hours expected! But, to be honest, if one wants to make their mark in the field, he's really the only game in town. Young people, with loads of energy and intelligence, can really gain invaluable experience working for him. Then maybe in the future, form their own companies.
The book is enlightening. It's told from the viewpoint of many employees. It's engaging and not demanding of any "genius level" thinking. It's just a good book!
I don't like the man, his politics, or his methods, but I have to give him respect for the company he has created.
This book describes the history of his company, SpaceX. It's quite fascinating, actually, how far they have come so fast. They have pushed aside the other space companies, and pushed NASA into a faster and more streamlined approach to space travel. They have repeatedly delivered to the ISS, saving the United States the money (and pride) of having to rely on Russia for "hitching a ride". They have deployed thousands of their Starlink satellites, bringing the internet to millions.
BUT....would I ever want to work for him? Not a chance in heck! He demands his people work 7 days a week, 12-16 hours (or longer) shifts, accepts no excuses, and no delays. The employees might as well become Navy Seals, there are probably less hours expected! But, to be honest, if one wants to make their mark in the field, he's really the only game in town. Young people, with loads of energy and intelligence, can really gain invaluable experience working for him. Then maybe in the future, form their own companies.
The book is enlightening. It's told from the viewpoint of many employees. It's engaging and not demanding of any "genius level" thinking. It's just a good book!
I don't like the man, his politics, or his methods, but I have to give him respect for the company he has created.
November 22, 2024
This is a fantastic book, but one sort of for those already in-the-know.
If you already understand that going to space is more about going sideways than it is about going up, this book is for you.
If you already know what a composite over wrapped pressure vessel is, this book is for you.
If you love the whole space industry, this is for you.
If you can’t wait for the next Scott Manley video, this is for you.
If you can’t wait for the next Everyday Astronaut video by Tim Dodd, this is for you.
If you can’t wait for each Saturday when there are new updates from Marcus House, this is for you.
If you can remember where you were and what you were doing when certain early Falcon 9s failed, launched, or landed, this book is for you.
This book is full of insider details. Where did Kathy Leuders sleep during a particularly Falcon 9 launch? Who was the driver behind the upgraded parachutes that get the likes of NASA astronauts and Jared Isaacman back from orbit?
Yet it left me wanting more. How did SpaceX program the algorithms that determine when its returning rockets decide to puff out their limited nitrogen cold gas thrusters as they descend from the heavens toward the cold unyielding surfaces of ground or barge landing pads?
I don’t know.
And I want to.
But this book tells the great stories of some of the engineers who pushed SpaceX and by proxy humanity forward into the age of reusable rockets and launch vehicles.
I can’t wait for its sequel about Starship.
Excellent reading.
I look forward to its sequel.
If you already understand that going to space is more about going sideways than it is about going up, this book is for you.
If you already know what a composite over wrapped pressure vessel is, this book is for you.
If you love the whole space industry, this is for you.
If you can’t wait for the next Scott Manley video, this is for you.
If you can’t wait for the next Everyday Astronaut video by Tim Dodd, this is for you.
If you can’t wait for each Saturday when there are new updates from Marcus House, this is for you.
If you can remember where you were and what you were doing when certain early Falcon 9s failed, launched, or landed, this book is for you.
This book is full of insider details. Where did Kathy Leuders sleep during a particularly Falcon 9 launch? Who was the driver behind the upgraded parachutes that get the likes of NASA astronauts and Jared Isaacman back from orbit?
Yet it left me wanting more. How did SpaceX program the algorithms that determine when its returning rockets decide to puff out their limited nitrogen cold gas thrusters as they descend from the heavens toward the cold unyielding surfaces of ground or barge landing pads?
I don’t know.
And I want to.
But this book tells the great stories of some of the engineers who pushed SpaceX and by proxy humanity forward into the age of reusable rockets and launch vehicles.
I can’t wait for its sequel about Starship.
Excellent reading.
I look forward to its sequel.
November 6, 2024
This book is a heap of anecdotes waiting to be edited into a narrative.
SpaceX is amazing, and Eric Berger has better access to firsthand accounts of its successes and failures than anyone else. So this book should be incredible. Instead, it's sloppy. Details are repeated three times in as many pages, events are set up and then waved away, key facts are omitted. Remember the time Zach Dunn climbed inside a Falcon 1 aboard a "C-17 rocket over the Atlantic Ocean"?
The stories that are told are incredibly cool. I had no idea how close Cargo Dragon was to failing, or about the densified propellant switch, or the accident investigations.
But there's only a few pages about Starlink, nothing about scaling Falcon 9 production, nothing about how engine relighting was solved...
Berger suffers from his access: he tries to cram too many quotes into too short a final product, and the cohesiveness suffers. I think this project should have been broken into two books: one on Falcon 9 development, Cargo Dragon, and Crew Dragon, and one on landing, reuse, production scaling, and Starlink. It's impossible to have too much SpaceX; I'd devour every page no matter how long it gets.
As it is, let's hope that Berger can deliver a second edition with the sloppiest errors fixed as quickly as SpaceX can iterate on its designs.
SpaceX is amazing, and Eric Berger has better access to firsthand accounts of its successes and failures than anyone else. So this book should be incredible. Instead, it's sloppy. Details are repeated three times in as many pages, events are set up and then waved away, key facts are omitted. Remember the time Zach Dunn climbed inside a Falcon 1 aboard a "C-17 rocket over the Atlantic Ocean"?
The stories that are told are incredibly cool. I had no idea how close Cargo Dragon was to failing, or about the densified propellant switch, or the accident investigations.
But there's only a few pages about Starlink, nothing about scaling Falcon 9 production, nothing about how engine relighting was solved...
Berger suffers from his access: he tries to cram too many quotes into too short a final product, and the cohesiveness suffers. I think this project should have been broken into two books: one on Falcon 9 development, Cargo Dragon, and Crew Dragon, and one on landing, reuse, production scaling, and Starlink. It's impossible to have too much SpaceX; I'd devour every page no matter how long it gets.
As it is, let's hope that Berger can deliver a second edition with the sloppiest errors fixed as quickly as SpaceX can iterate on its designs.
October 19, 2024
This book is a wonderful testament to the hard work and amazing accomplishments that SpaceX has achieved over the past two decades. The book chronicles the development of the Falcon 9 and the beginnings of Starship. There are many interesting anecdotes about the process of building and launching SpaceX rockets. My only criticism is that I wish the book dug deeper into the technical weeds of how some of SpaceX’s rockets and Starlink satellites work. I love space books with deep technical detail that really explains how these amazing machines work. That said, maybe as a private company SpaceX is less open and willing to share the technical details of its rockets.
November 12, 2024
A quick step towards the future with SpaceX is captured by Berger. Fascinating stories about the challenges faced by young workers loving what they are doing and the burden of working hard and long hours to get it all done. Even before a successful project is accomplished, Musk leadership and eye to the future has them changing direction in unknowable ways. SpaceX is now the most dominant rocket launcher. Perhaps the most insightful discussion Berger is put forth in his epilogue. One example is the path taken by Howard Hughes, who flew the Spruce Goose just once, and became a recluse late in life. What failure, if any, would turn Musk’s leadership and SpaceX to a similar path?
October 8, 2024
This is an awesome behind-the-scenes look at the development of the Falcon 9, the world’s first reusable rocket; it shows clearly how scrappy SpaceX was during this period, as well as the pros and cons of Musk’s leadership there. (Pro: a high-pressure environment and a clear central vision produced amazing results. Con: This also creates a ton of burnout, and as it turns out—shocker!—this Musk guy is a real jerk.)
October 6, 2024
An interest in rocketry is more or less a prerequisite for appreciating this book. Berger does an excellent job of capturing the perspective of low-level employees on just how physically and mentally grueling SpaceX's endeavors can be. I hope to read a similar volume from Berger regarding Starships development in a few years time.
Song Choice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0AcB...
Song Choice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0AcB...
October 10, 2024
Been following SpaceX since the beginning and it was amazing how open they were to let the world see what they were doing including launching water towers with rocket engines and seeing them learning how to land them.
This book put names to some of the characters responsible and filled in some very interesting details.
This book put names to some of the characters responsible and filled in some very interesting details.
October 26, 2024
A great book to learn about what is going on back stage of these marvelous rockets. The story is well written and highlight how SpaceX transform the industry through key innovations that are not necessarily visible to the non initiated. It is definitely a story about the company not his founder which makes it even more interesting.
October 29, 2024
This excellent book is for anyone who likes to understand the nuts and bolts of how amazing things get done, and for all of us who admire Elon. Very interesting and engaging. It so happens that I live about 100 miles south of Cape Canaveral and, if conditions are right, can watch the flights of the Falcon 9. It adds a great deal of immediacy to the whole Space X story.
October 12, 2024
Fantastic follow on to Liftoff. Berger does not drift into hagiography, covering the pros and cons of Musk. Better yet, his journalism/research covers many aspects of the Falcon 9 development and the people who made it happen. Great writing, great detail, a great read.
August 25, 2024
Ayo this book is attached to the wrong Eric berger profile
September 24, 2024
No new information from a notorious Musk shill. Ignore this garbage if you value your time and money.
September 27, 2024
Excellent history of the development of the falcon nine reasonably accurate technical discussion as well, particularly the annoying requirements on the flight termination system
September 28, 2024
Interesting book I really enjoyed the book.
October 12, 2024
This is an excellent follow-up to the author’s previous effort, Liftoff, save for the cringeworthy concern-trolling of the epilogue.
October 27, 2024
That epilogue 👌👌
October 28, 2024
An amazing follow up to liftoff.
Can’t wait for the starship part 3. You will get an amazing window into how much spacex did to totally disrupt the launch industry.
Can’t wait for the starship part 3. You will get an amazing window into how much spacex did to totally disrupt the launch industry.
November 5, 2024
Exceptional great story of SpaceX's continued growth and dominance.
November 5, 2024
Great, inspiring.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews