Author Topic: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff  (Read 21075 times)

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« on: 09/28/2020 02:53 pm »
twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1310591950853201921

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FLY OR DIE. That was the choice SpaceX faced 12 years ago today when a small band of engineers and techs fueled the company’s last Falcon 1 rocket on a remote launch pad. Finally, after three painful failures and years of desperately hard work, this rocket soared skyward.

https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1310591955374665729

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The remarkable story of how @elonmusk and his small team reached orbit in 2008 has gone largely untold—until now. I’m thrilled to say my book on the origins of SpaceX, Liftoff, will be published by William Morrow on March 2, 2021. Preorder now: bit.ly/LiftoffbyEricB…

twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1310592519881752584

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I’ve worked hard to accurately tell the story of how SpaceX succeeded where so many companies failed. I spent a lot of time with Musk, who was expansive about those early years. But, equally important, dozens of the first SpaceX employees told me their stories.

https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1310592520758452226

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Liftoff comes to life through the candid narratives of about a dozen of these key employees. Some names are instantly recognizable. There is Gwynne Shotwell, hired in mid-2002, to sell rockets and charge headlong at Musk’s side as they reshaped the launch industry.

twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1310592875571355649

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Many SpaceX enthusiasts will also recognize Tom Mueller, the company’s first employee and architect of the Merlin engine. Mueller overcame a lot of odds even before he got to SpaceX. Likewise, Hans Koenigsmann is relatively well known today.

https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1310592876498358273

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But for the first time Chris Thompson, the other member of the SpaceX founding team with Musk and Mueller, spoke publicly. He tells some hilarious stories about Pop-Tarts and pop art. And there is Tim Buzza, the launch director, who kept meticulous notes and shared them.

twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1310593176428830720

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Then there are unsung heroes whose names are not well known. People like Anne Chinnery, Florence Li,  Brian Bjelde and more. And there is Zach Dunn, who saved the company at 25,000 feet in the air, when all seemed lost. There's even a classic goulash recipe ... because reasons.

https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1310593177334751232

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Writing Liftoff has been the privilege of my professional career. This is an amazing story, all the more remarkable for how far SpaceX has come from such hardscrabble beginnings. I can’t believe I got to tell it.
« Last Edit: 09/28/2020 02:59 pm by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #1 on: 09/28/2020 02:58 pm »
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/liftoff-eric-berger?variant=32199652114466

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The dramatic inside story of the first four historic flights that launched SpaceX—and Elon Musk—from a shaky startup into the world's leading edge rocket company.

In 2006, SpaceX—a brand-new venture with fewer than 200 employees—rolled its first, single-engine rocket onto a launch pad at Kwajalein Atoll. After a groundbreaking launch from the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the Falcon 1 rocket designed by Elon Musk’s engineers rose in the air for approximately thirty seconds. Then, its engine flamed out, and the rocket crashed back into the ocean.
In 2007, SpaceX undertook a second launch. This time, the rocket rose far into space, but just before reaching orbit it spun out of control. Confident of success in 2008, Musk and his team launched their third rocket with several paying customers. The first stage executed perfectly, but instead of falling away, it thudded into the second stage. Another failure. Elon Musk had only budgeted for three attempts when he founded SpaceX.
Out of money and with a single Falcon 1 rocket left in its factory, SpaceX decided to try one last, dramatic launch. Over eight weeks, engineers worked furiously to prepare this final rocket. The fate of Musk’s venture mirrored the trajectory of this slender, single-engine rocket aimed toward the skies. If it crashed and burned, so would SpaceX. In September 2008, SpaceX’s last chance for success lifted off . . . and accelerated like a dream, soaring into orbit flawlessly.
That success would launch a miraculous decade for the company, in which SpaceX grew from building a single-engine rocket to one with a staggering 27 engines; created two different spacecraft, and mastered reusable-rocket descents using mobile drone ships on the open seas. It marked a level of production and achievement that has not been seen since the space race of the 1960s.
But these achievements would not have been possible without SpaceX’s first four flight tests. Drawing on unparalleled access and exclusive interviews with dozens of former and current employees—engineers, designers, mechanics, and executives, including Elon Musk—Eric Berger tells the complete story of this foundational generation that transformed SpaceX into the world’s leading space company.
Liftoff includes more than a dozen photographs.

ISBN: 9780062979971
ISBN 10: 0062979973
Imprint: William Morrow
On Sale: March 2, 2021
Trimsize: 6x9in
Pages: 288 pages
$27.99

Offline gongora

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #2 on: 09/28/2020 03:00 pm »
This sounds like the book Tom Mueller mentioned in a recent interview.

Offline Coastal Ron

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #3 on: 09/28/2020 03:02 pm »
I hope it sells well outside the aerospace industry, because it will likely have a lot of relevant lessons for any type of technology startup.
If we don't continuously lower the cost to access space, how are we ever going to afford to expand humanity out into space?

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #4 on: 09/28/2020 03:06 pm »
This sounds like the book Tom Mueller mentioned in a recent interview.

Haven’t seen that interview. Really looking forward to this book; the combination of contributions from all the key players plus Eric as author will make it a must read.

Offline Khadgars

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #5 on: 09/28/2020 03:45 pm »
I remember that 4th flight.  I was a student in Berkely (old one at that), was so excited for that successful launch  :D
Evil triumphs when good men do nothing - Thomas Jefferson

Offline Kansan52

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #6 on: 09/28/2020 04:09 pm »
I hope there is material about why the Kwajalein Atoll. That first flight was amazing with a slab of concrete for a launch pad. Very much like the old DC-X days. Memory says the exhaust splatted a leaf onto the onboard camera just after launch but the slipstream removed it in time for the end.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #7 on: 09/28/2020 04:48 pm »
https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1310607145038163968

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Pre-ordered! Looking forward to reading it.

twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1310607357697822720

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You're in it! (thanks to the comment about longevity of Ratsat).

https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1310607960448606208

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Thanks! Guess I better buy two then...

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #8 on: 09/28/2020 08:23 pm »
twitter.com/fftvable/status/1310621101878317061

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Can't wait to read it! Do you have a chapter on Russian ICBM adventure?

https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1310629353403842560

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Not a chapter, no. The majority of the book focuses on the period between the creation of SpaceX (May 2002 and the fourth Falcon 1 launch, Sept. 2008)

twitter.com/markwhittington/status/1310600228261842949

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One of the remarkable things is that SpaceX could well have gone the way of all of those failed rocket companies of the 80s and 90s. Can't wait to read how it succeeded and thus changed the world.

https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1310602302647078920

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As Mueller told me, unlike previous startups he'd seen come along, which may have had a smart idea for a rocket design, or money, Elon had both.

twitter.com/wilhel1812/status/1310638789761601537

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Congrats! Will there be an audio book version?

https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1310640416606355457

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Yes, there will. Not sure who is narrating yet.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #9 on: 09/28/2020 09:58 pm »
Praise from Tom Mueller:

https://twitter.com/lrocket/status/1310697071842791424

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So awesome that this came together.  A bunch of us wanted the stories of early SpaceX to be told and @SciGuySpace  was the perfect author for this. The early draft is really good.  This will be a best seller

https://twitter.com/lrocket/status/1310698933706924032

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Thank you for telling it

Edit to add:

https://twitter.com/hanskoenigsmann/status/1310775315581394944

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I know its a good story, and I know its well written - can't wait to get the hardcopy!
« Last Edit: 09/29/2020 06:49 am by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #10 on: 10/27/2020 08:44 pm »
https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1321195934794002437

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Sent in my very final text edits for Liftoff this afternoon. So, basically, it's done! I'll leave you with this gorgeous overview of Omelek Island, where it all began. Photo courtesy of SpaceX.

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/liftoff-eric-berger

Offline Oersted

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #11 on: 10/28/2020 01:06 pm »
Small beginnings, indeed, on a TINY island! - Didn't know it was that small.   :o

Sure buy from me, can hardly wait till next year.

Offline dgmckenzie

Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #12 on: 10/28/2020 01:18 pm »
Amazon.co.uk just cancelled my order  >:(

Offline AnthonyMcCaughey

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #13 on: 11/17/2020 12:25 pm »
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« Last Edit: 12/03/2020 08:39 am by AnthonyMcCaughey »

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #14 on: 11/17/2020 01:54 pm »
Amazon.co.uk just cancelled my order  >:(

I had the same issue but I think it was because they had multiple listings on their site and they got rid of an old / incorrect one. Order on the other current listing seems fine, try:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0008445621/

Offline Redclaws

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #15 on: 11/17/2020 02:11 pm »
Small beginnings, indeed, on a TINY island! - Didn't know it was that small.   :o

Sure buy from me, can hardly wait till next year.

If it helps any with conceptualizing it, Omelek is part of the larger Kwajalein atoll, so that island is one of a ring, separated by basically wading depth water (ok, more than that, but not much).  Omelek itself is super tiny but there’s a lot of ~Omelek (or bigger) chunks of Kwajalein right next to each other.



Offline woods170

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #16 on: 11/17/2020 02:36 pm »
My favourite image of Omelek is the one where SpaceX put labels on all the infrastructure, including the sharks.  :)

Also, for all Dutchies: Liftoff is now available for pre-order at Bol.com
« Last Edit: 11/17/2020 03:10 pm by woods170 »

Offline freddo411

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #17 on: 11/17/2020 05:03 pm »
Small beginnings, indeed, on a TINY island! - Didn't know it was that small.   :o

Sure buy from me, can hardly wait till next year.

If it helps any with conceptualizing it, Omelek is part of the larger Kwajalein atoll, so that island is one of a ring, separated by basically wading depth water (ok, more than that, but not much).  Omelek itself is super tiny but there’s a lot of ~Omelek (or bigger) chunks of Kwajalein right next to each other.




I know the booster was flown in to Kwaj.   How did they get it from the airport to Omelek?

Offline woods170

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #18 on: 11/17/2020 05:29 pm »
Small beginnings, indeed, on a TINY island! - Didn't know it was that small.   :o

Sure buy from me, can hardly wait till next year.

If it helps any with conceptualizing it, Omelek is part of the larger Kwajalein atoll, so that island is one of a ring, separated by basically wading depth water (ok, more than that, but not much).  Omelek itself is super tiny but there’s a lot of ~Omelek (or bigger) chunks of Kwajalein right next to each other.




I know the booster was flown in to Kwaj.   How did they get it from the airport to Omelek?
Ship.

Offline rdale

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #19 on: 11/20/2020 01:16 am »
My review of the book... If you only have time for one book in 2021 - and you are a NSF user - this is the one!

https://www.netgalley.com/book/204479/review/176731

Offline Oersted

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #20 on: 11/20/2020 04:27 pm »
That was a short review. ☺

How did you get hold of the book this long before it comes out?

Offline rdale

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #21 on: 11/20/2020 04:36 pm »
When something is really good - or really bad - I tend to get to the point :)
« Last Edit: 11/20/2020 06:39 pm by rdale »

Offline Zed_Noir

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #22 on: 11/20/2020 05:25 pm »
<snip>
This is the only full history on SpaceX and it was done phenomenally well.

Did you check out "HERE BE DRAGONS: A HISTORY OF THE FIRST ERA OF SPACEX" written by Stewart Money? It covers SpaceX during the same time period as Eric Berger's book.

Offline rdale

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #23 on: 11/20/2020 06:23 pm »
Interesting - that never came up when I searched, but I see it doesn't have a Kindle version and isn't at any library in my state, and the reviews aren't that good. But I'll take a chance if you're saying it's worth it?

Offline Coastal Ron

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #24 on: 11/20/2020 06:35 pm »
When something is really good - or really bad - I tend to get to the point :)

This is the only full history on SpaceX and it was done phenomenally well.

But this isn't the "full history on SpaceX", it is only the account of what happened from 2006 to 2008, when they were trying to get the Falcon 1 to orbit. An important slice of history for sure, but only a slice, not the whole pie...  ;)
If we don't continuously lower the cost to access space, how are we ever going to afford to expand humanity out into space?

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #25 on: 11/25/2020 08:30 pm »
https://twitter.com/kelliegerardi/status/1331676567462957058

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On the heels of yesterday’s launch and the incredible talent at SpaceX, I had to share my favorite @ElonMusk (and @Dr_ThomasZ) story.

(h/t to @SciGuySpace ‘s upcoming book #Liftoff for this gem)

Offline yg1968

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #26 on: 12/03/2020 11:38 pm »
See below:

Quote from: Talking Tesla
@SciGuySpace Eric Berger talks about how @spacex might be affected by a Biden Administration and gives a sneak peak into his upcoming book Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5PtkhIY1Xd7duv4LyPww8I?si=HwrzhPLrSAqSHoxsozxWbQ

https://twitter.com/talkingtesla/status/1334649410156957697

Offline rdale

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #27 on: 12/03/2020 11:40 pm »
<snip>
This is the only full history on SpaceX and it was done phenomenally well.

Did you check out "HERE BE DRAGONS: A HISTORY OF THE FIRST ERA OF SPACEX" written by Stewart Money? It covers SpaceX during the same time period as Eric Berger's book.

I sent him money for the book two weeks ago and no reply and no book :) Not a good sign.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #28 on: 01/01/2021 07:09 pm »
On the book’s Amazon page (and I assume on the book’s jacket):

Quote
"Liftoff reads like something out of the golden age of Science Fiction but this isn't a novel by Robert Heinlein or Arthur C. Clarke. This is the true, astounding story of the men and women who spun those sci-fi dreams into reality. This is as important a book on space as has ever been written and it's a riveting page-turner, too!
-- HOMER HICKAM, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Rocket Boys

“This might be the best space book I've ever read. Liftoff will prove to be a defining story not only for the commercial space industry, but for the Space Age writ large, and there's no one better than Eric Berger to tell it.”
-- KELLIE GERARDI, author of Not Necessarily Rocket Science

“Eric Berger brings to life the passion and sacrifice of the early SpaceX team as they navigated through countless obstacles toward unlikely success. The skillfully described technical details, paired with a candid glimpse into individual personalities, makes Liftoff a must read for space enthusiasts and novices alike.”
-- KAREN NYBERG, NASA Astronaut

"The elegant brilliance of the engineering that allows today’s space rockets to land themselves back on earth—or at sea—right way up, and on target to the inch, is all the doing of the teams assembled by Elon Musk—and the story of how he did it, and how for sure he will get us to Mars whether we like it or not, is told in appropriately stellar fashion by Eric Berger in a book that held me captive, in earth orbit, from prologue to epilogue, countdown to splashdown."
-- SIMON WINCHESTER, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Perfectionists

“Eric Berger has followed the exploits of SpaceX and its founder, Elon Musk, from its very early days. In Liftoff, Eric relates the many personal accounts collected in one-on-one interviews with Musk and many of his key leaders and associates. He chronicles the frenetic pace of Falcon 1 development and the toll it took on many of the early employees. This is a book that will hold your rapt attention from start to finish.”
-- CHARLES BOLDEN, Former NASA Administrator and Four-Time Astronaut
« Last Edit: 01/01/2021 07:11 pm by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline rdale

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #29 on: 01/01/2021 07:21 pm »
<snip>
This is the only full history on SpaceX and it was done phenomenally well.

Did you check out "HERE BE DRAGONS: A HISTORY OF THE FIRST ERA OF SPACEX" written by Stewart Money? It covers SpaceX during the same time period as Eric Berger's book.

I sent him money for the book two weeks ago and no reply and no book :) Not a good sign.

To save the author’s legacy - he finally apologized and said he didn’t realize his website still listed the book for sale direct. I did find one on EBay that I ordered, it went from Illinois on Dec 14 to Pennsylvania on December 28th, and is now at another USPS site in Illinois so should be here sometime this year :)

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #30 on: 01/13/2021 02:30 pm »
https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1349376921017184258

Quote
Less than 50 days now until the release of Liftoff! I'm going to be sharing thoughts from a few people I greatly respect who have read an early copy. First up is @realhomerhickam, who inspired more than a few SpaceXers.

Pre-order: bit.ly/LiftoffbyEricB…

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #31 on: 01/28/2021 08:10 pm »
Another fun little story to look forward to reading:

twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1354898498181853189

Quote
This SN9 drama reminds me a little bit of Flight Three of the Falcon 1 rocket, in 2008. Window for that launch closed at 3:30pm Kwaj time. SpaceX and Army had performed a collision analysis to ensure it was safe to launch during that window. But at 3:20 a storm blew over Omelek.

https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1354898798754099203

Quote
With frantic, last minute calls SpaceX negotiated a 10-minute extension. The fast-moving storm cleared, and the rocket lifted off at 3:34pm local time. It was pretty glorious until stage separation ...

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #32 on: 02/25/2021 08:35 pm »
https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1365051943069093888

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Space News has published an excerpt from the Prologue and Chapter 1 of LIFTOFF. Check it out!

https://spacenews.com/book-excerpt-liftoff-elon-musk-and-the-desperate-early-days-that-launched-spacex/

Quote
Book excerpt | Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX
by Eric Berger — February 25, 2021


The seeds for everything SpaceX has grown into today were planted during the early days of the Falcon 1 program.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #33 on: 02/26/2021 08:07 pm »
https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1365406720961429507

Quote
I'll be doing a @reddit AMA on Tuesday in r/space to discuss LIFTOFF, SpaceX, and space in general. Anything goes!

https://www.reddit.com/r/space/
« Last Edit: 02/26/2021 08:07 pm by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #34 on: 03/01/2021 01:15 pm »
https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/03/after-two-failures-spacex-needed-a-win-in-2008-would-it-get-one/

Quote
BOOK EXCERPT —
The 2008 moment when triumph turned to torment for SpaceX
Flight Three of the Falcon 1 rocket could make or break the company.

ERIC BERGER - 3/1/2021, 1:00 PM

This is an excerpt from chapter eight of the book LIFTOFF: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX by our own Eric Berger. The book will be published on March 2, 2021. In this excerpt, it is the summer of 2008, and SpaceX has attempted to launch the Falcon 1 rocket twice already, failing both times. As the company's engineers prepare for a third launch attempt from tiny Omelek Island in the Kwajalein Atoll, time and money are running out...

Offline Oersted

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #35 on: 03/01/2021 04:20 pm »
I think I'll rather buy the book when it comes out tomorrow than read the excerpt now :-)

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #36 on: 03/02/2021 02:47 pm »
I’ve started reading the book. Great so far, lots of interesting details and stories. Here’s one nugget:

Quote
Mueller said the original pump from Barber-Nichols weighed 150 pounds, with an output of about 3,000 horsepower. Over the next fifteen years, SpaceX engineers continued to iterate, changing the design and upgrading its parts. The turbopump in the modern-day Falcon 9 rocket’s Merlin engine still weighs 150 pounds, but produces 12,000 horsepower.

Offline Oersted

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #37 on: 03/02/2021 06:53 pm »
I've also started reading the book and so far - a few chapters in - it is everything I had hoped for.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #38 on: 03/02/2021 07:32 pm »
https://twitter.com/ashleevance/status/1366582427888455680

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.@SciGuySpace has ended my multi-year streak of owning Mars. Still, you should buy his wonderful book amazon.com/Liftoff-Desper…

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #39 on: 03/04/2021 03:11 pm »
Some new reviews:

https://twitter.com/spacebrendan/status/1367500366343000064

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"Berger’s stories from the early days of SpaceX lay bare the relentless work, uncertainty and personal sacrifices early staffers faced while getting the company off the ground." My review of @SciGuySpace's new book "Liftoff."

https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4130/1

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Review: Liftoff

by Jeff Foust
Monday, March 1, 2021

[…]

Liftoff is rich with anecdotes from the early days of SpaceX that, put together, provide insights into the company that will be new for almost anyone who didn’t work at the company.

Offline Tuts36

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #40 on: 03/04/2021 04:41 pm »
I've been reading Liftoff a few chapters at a time this week, while also closely following the preparation & launch of SN10.  I'm REALLY enjoying the book, it's a compelling story.

I hope Eric is planning to write the sequels - this story is still unfolding before our eyes!

Offline ZachS09

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #41 on: 03/05/2021 12:40 am »
Just received my hardcover copy tonight. I'm about to read it for the first time.
Liftoff for St. Jude's! Go Dragon, Go Falcon, Godspeed Inspiration4!

Offline su27k

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #42 on: 03/05/2021 10:10 am »
Eric BergerAMA on reddit, it's for this book, but he also answered some generic SpaceX and space related questions.
« Last Edit: 03/05/2021 10:11 am by su27k »

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #43 on: 03/05/2021 10:54 am »


Good interview with Eric Berger on the book, and how the things he discovered in the book apply to the current projects. I was also impressed to hear he got to sit in on planning and engineering meetings. Lucky guy.
Which booster has the most soot? SpaceX booster launch history! (discussion)

Offline Oersted

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #44 on: 03/05/2021 11:28 am »
He also flew along with Musk in the business jet when he went down to Boca Chica...

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #45 on: 03/05/2021 08:11 pm »
I hope Eric is planning to write the sequels - this story is still unfolding before our eyes!

IIRC Eric was asked about this on NSF Live (might have been another interview). He said there are a couple of subsequent stories that would be good to write: F9 development, especially reusability, and Starship. He didn’t mention Dragon / crewed flight; I imagine because Michael Sheetz & Lori Garver’s book is covering that.

Offline Oersted

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #46 on: 03/05/2021 08:17 pm »
He said there are a couple of subsequent stories that would be good to write: F9 development, especially reusability, and Starship.

I sincerely hope there will also be a great TV documentary, perhaps in the style of this one on SpaceShipOne:

Offline Arb

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #47 on: 03/07/2021 09:42 pm »
The UK dust jacket is ... different.
« Last Edit: 03/07/2021 09:43 pm by Arb »

Offline Lars-J

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #48 on: 03/08/2021 07:41 am »
I just finished the book... great stuff, an awesome read.

The stories chronicling the Falcon 1 years were even more interesting than I anticipated.

And don’t forget to read the extra “where are they now” sections in the appendix. Lots of great insight there and comparisons with other newly started space companies.

Offline hoku

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #49 on: 03/10/2021 09:44 am »
The UK dust jacket is ... different.
Got my "UK edition" of LIFTOFF delivered yesterday :D Delivery had to be processed twice by customs, once for leaving the UK, and then for entering the EU :-\ Still, shipping was relatively fast (ordered on March 1, shipped on the 5th, delivered on the 9th)  :)

I always wondered why UK editions of books tend to have different dust jackets than US editions?

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #50 on: 03/17/2021 05:06 pm »
Eric’s keynote starts in about 5 mins:

https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1372246766716923913

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Starting now! I'm speaking about the early days of SpaceX at NASA's symposium on the rise of commercial space.

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/history/nasa-and-the-rise-of-commercial-space.html

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #51 on: 03/22/2021 06:30 am »
https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1373818178715979776

Quote
I'll be joined by SpaceX's first launch and test director, Tim Buzza, in a @reddit AMA tomorrow to discuss LIFTOFF and the Falcon 1. @TimBuzza64 knows all the good stories! Ask your questions now:
https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/m9cdrq/interested_in_the_new_spacex_book_liftoff_author/

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #52 on: 04/02/2021 07:11 am »
Keith Cowing has a great review of the book:

http://spaceref.com/reviews/liftoff-elon-musk-and-the-desperate-early-days-that-launched-spacex---book-review.html

He includes even more back story from his own interactions with Elon in the early days of SpaceX. Such as:

Quote
At one point a camera on a mast seemed shaky so I sent him an email. Not 5 minutes later, on the other side of the world ona coral atoll, someone climbed up the tower to bolt the camera down. I saw a face flash by - I swear it was Elon's brother Kimball.

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #53 on: 04/02/2021 05:03 pm »
The UK dust jacket is ... different.


All I do is fly long-haul international and I’m always hitting up bookstore overseas (when we are allowed outside of our hotel rooms nowadays, that is.) What’s funny is that I have found cases where the internals of the books are also different than what we find in the United States.


Picked it up at Compass books in SFO and read it on the layover. Excellent book, my only complaint is I wish he had expanded on the meetings with the Russians where they frakked him off so much he formed SpaceX.
Anyone can do the job when things are going right. In this business we play for keeps.
— Ernest K. Gann

Offline hoku

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #54 on: 04/09/2021 01:01 pm »
yet another endorsement for Liftoff ...  8)

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1380480918243090433

quote: "Just read it. Book is accurate."

Offline electricdawn

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #55 on: 04/09/2021 01:07 pm »
The UK dust jacket is ... different.
That's the one I got as well. I ordered through Amazon Germany. Probably got shipped from a UK vendor to Germany.

Very good book. I can now even more appreciate what these guys and gals went through. Musk is certainly not a boss I'd like to work for, but then I'm not in my early twenties anymore. ;)

Definitely a must-read for anybody interested in SpaceX and rockets in general.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #56 on: 05/14/2021 01:28 pm »
For anyone in the US who hasn’t bought it yet (is there anyone?!)

https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1393195096401760258

Quote
For some reason, LIFTOFF is on sale at Amazon for $11.99. This is a fabulous deal for a hardcover copy.

https://www.amazon.com/Liftoff-Desperate-Early-Launched-SpaceX/dp/0008445621/
« Last Edit: 05/14/2021 01:29 pm by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #57 on: 06/28/2021 05:20 pm »
twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1409559786958503938

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Hung out with the stars of LIFTOFF this weekend—the brilliant rocket scientists who changed launch forever at SpaceX with the Falcon 1.

https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1409560643494088715

Quote
The book’s publication spurred a get together for the techs and engineers who built and launched Falcon 1s from Kwaj. First time some of them had seen one another in more than a decade. Amazing to see the band back together.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #58 on: 07/09/2021 10:53 pm »
Another great Eric interview:



Spoiler: right at the end Eric says he does have another book project “hopefully the next chapter on SpaceX”. Previously Eric has said he’d like to write the F9 reusability story. Fingers crossed!

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #59 on: 09/29/2021 05:44 am »
twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1442920754778021888

Quote
13 years ago, today, the Falcon 1 reached orbit for the first time. It almost didn't. Weeks earlier, the rocket imploded during transit. This is a photo of that singular incident, with Flo Li supporting Zach Dunn, inside a C-17. The whole story:

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/liftoff-eric-berger?variant=32126620205090

https://twitter.com/chrissembroski/status/1443080342370275328

Quote
Loving this book. Also, when it came to the glossy pictures in the middle, it struck me that across two pages of photos filled with presidents, astronauts, and space industry giants, I had just met or spoke to most of those people (or their spouse) within the last week or so.

Offline Citabria

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #60 on: 11/01/2021 03:11 pm »
Just got through the C-17 part of the book. What a great story!

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #61 on: 02/12/2022 12:50 pm »
Started new thread for Eric’s 2nd book, effectively a Liftoff sequel, which he is writing now. Few details yet.

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=55792.0
« Last Edit: 02/12/2022 12:52 pm by FutureSpaceTourist »

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #62 on: 02/13/2022 08:33 pm »
This book is so good.
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

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Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Eric Berger SpaceX book - Liftoff
« Reply #63 on: 09/12/2022 04:23 pm »
https://twitter.com/bookauthority/status/1569357199905882114

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Congrats @SciGuySpace! We're delighted to inform you that "Liftoff" made it to our list of best Aerospace books of all time!

It’s number 10 in the top 100. Ignition is number 3!

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