posted 05-05-2024 06:05 PM               

On January 4th, 2004, the Mars rover Spirit landed on Mars. The first pictures sent back included the logo of a small company in Boulder, Colorado — Starsys Research — which had built 27 motors powering the rover and its instruments. Starsys was founded by Scott Tibbitts, an ex-ski bum/nuclear engineer, from an invention made of hardware store parts and wax.

Starsys ultimately flew 3,500 devices on 350 spacecraft, its success a direct result of a corporate culture that became legend in the space business for its emphasis on fun and family.

Scott brings the reader along for the ride of creating a space company from scratch, providing a visceral experience of the extraordinary highs and soul-wrenching lows.

• Paperback, 254 pages
  
• HenschelHAUS Publishing (March 7, 2024)
  
• ISBN-10: ‎1595989870
  
• ISBN-13: ‎978-1595989871