American journalist Ashley Vance, author of the famous biography of Elon Musk, devotes his new book to a fascinating topic - the beginning of the exploration of near space by private American companies. SpaceX has proved to the world that space programs are no longer the preserve of mighty governments spending billions of dollars to launch one rocket. Extraordinary engineers, enthusiastic dreamers, space hippies and eccentric businessmen are now at the helm. Ashley Vance for five years collected materials and personally talked with the founders of four companies - Planet Labs, Rocket Lab, Astra and Firefly Aerospace - which, along with Elon Musk, put science fiction films into practice. A commune of engineers in Silicon Valley, a spaceport in New Zealand next door to local tribes and rocket launches from the vastness of cold Alaska - the author tells about all this in his usual provocative and honest manner. The book will interest the widest range of readers. It shows how strongly the aerospace industry affects modern civilization, and also allows you to see the inner world of amazing people who open up new perspectives for our planet.