Two leading experts on space systems with decades of experience in the field provide important and current insights on developments in today’s commercial space industry in this ambitious and extensively researched examination. The authors look at the lives, ambitions, and struggles of the billionaires funding and supporting this industry, while also examining the nature of the strained relations and alternative goals of space agencies versus the private space flight industry. The analysis even includes descriptions of the amazing new technologies that could revolutionize space exploration and space industries in the coming decades. Contents 1. Citizen Astronauts: How Soon? 2. The Billionaires Enter the Commercial Space Race 3. The Leading Players and Their Challengers 4. The International Scene 5. The Spaceport Stampede 6. Will It Work As a Business? 7. How Safe is Private Space Travel? 8. The Possible Show Stoppers? 9. The Strategic Elements of Space Plane Systems 10. Commercial Space Flight and the Sweep of Human Evolution 11. The Top Ten Things to Know About Space Tourism and the Future of Space