The global space sector has always been regarded as a cutting-edge field, futuristic and at the forefront of innovation. In recent years, the sector has undergone massive change, giving rise to a high-technology niche worth over $330 billion in revenues worldwide and growing. That process, encompassing a greater and more diverse set of actors, has been described as the "democratization of space." Above and Beyond: Exploring the Business of Space provides a comprehensive and current overview of the business of space and its distinctive competitive dynamics. The book explores the commercialization of space, taking the reader on a journey from the era of the Space Race up to the present and beyond. Focusing on both state and commercial actors, the book provides an exhaustive panoramic view of an area of growing human endeavour and ambition that is both informative and fascinating. As the business of space continues to develop and grow at a remarkable pace, the book offers a thoughtful and timely analysis of its past, present and future scenarios. While providing a critical assessment of the business of space, this book offers valuable insights to academics, policy makers and anyone with a keen interest in the sector, as well as useful lessons from emerging commercial and traditional space actors that have broader applicability to other industries and their managers.

Since NASA was established in 1958, it has landed rovers on distant planets and launched telescopes deep into space—all so that we can look back to the beginning of time. Through stunning images provided by NASA and fascinating profiles and sidebars of lesser known contributors to the NASA program, young space fans will learn how NASA started, how it faced challenges along the way, how much it has achieved, and how it will continue to move forward in the future. NASA’s boundless curiosity and urge to explore lies at the heart of the human adventure. NASA rises to the urgent challenges we face, using its massive reach and expertise to find answers to vital questions like: How can we learn to live in a more extreme natural environment? Inspired by Rory Kennedy’s documentary of the same name (airing 10/2018), Above and Beyond aims to leave audiences hopeful and inspired about the future of our planet—and convinced that NASA is essential to our continued survival as we mark its important anniversaries and dream of new discoveries to come.

From the authors of the bestselling The Finest Hours comes the riveting, deeply human story of President John F. Kennedy and two U-2 pilots, Rudy Anderson and Chuck Maultsby, who risked their lives to save America during the Cuban Missile Crisis During the ominous two weeks of the Cold War's terrifying peak, two things saved humanity: the strategic wisdom of John F. Kennedy and the U-2 aerial spy program. On October 27, 1962, Kennedy, strained from back pain, sleeplessness, and days of impossible tension, was briefed about a missing spy plane. Its pilot, Chuck Maultsby, was on a surveillance mission over the North Pole, but had become disoriented and steered his plane into Soviet airspace. If detected, its presence there could be considered an act of war. As the president and his advisers wrestled with this information, more bad news came: another U-2 had gone missing, this one belonging to Rudy Anderson. His mission: to photograph missile sites over Cuba. For the president, any wrong move could turn the Cold War nuclear. Above and Beyond is the intimate, gripping account of the lives of these three war heroes, brought together on a day that changed history. Selected as a "Top 10 Nonfiction Books to Read" (2018) by the MA Book Awards

This book looks at the space industry from a business perspective, with a focus on international competition. The space industry traces its origins to the middle of last century as a government/military domain and the author now looks at the ongoing evolution of space exploration and travel, and projects the future of the industry.

The greatest adventure in human history is about to begin. Meet the extraordinary men and women who are leaving Earth and everything they know and love to find their destiny among the stars. Here is the fast-moving tie-in novel that captures the action of the new futuristic TV movie produced by the same team who created the Golden Globe Award-winning series, The X-Files.

Seeking to reenergize Americans' passion for the space program, the value of further exploration of the Moon, and the importance of human beings on the final frontier, Claude A. Piantadosi presents a rich history of American space exploration and its major achievements. He emphasizes the importance of reclaiming national command of our manned program and continuing our unmanned space missions, and he stresses the many adventures that still await us in the unfolding universe. Acknowledging space exploration's practical and financial obstacles, Piantadosi challenges us to revitalize American leadership in space exploration in order to reap its scientific bounty. Piantadosi explains why space exploration, a captivating story of ambition, invention, and discovery, is also increasingly difficult and why space experts always seem to disagree. He argues that the future of the space program requires merging the practicalities of exploration with the constraints of human biology. Space science deals with the unknown, and the margin (and budget) for error is small. Lethal near-vacuum conditions, deadly cosmic radiation, microgravity, vast distances, and highly scattered resources remain immense physical problems. To forge ahead, America needs to develop affordable space transportation and flexible exploration strategies based in sound science. Piantadosi closes with suggestions for accomplishing these goals, combining his healthy skepticism as a scientist with an unshakable belief in space's untapped—and wholly worthwhile—potential.