Escaping Gravity: My Quest to Transform NASA and Launch a New Space Age

by Lori Garver, Walter Isaacson, Grover Gardner Narrated by Lori Garver

Overview

The inside look at how the battle of the space billionaires began and why it matters, Escaping Gravity is former NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver's firsthand account of how a handful of revolutionaries outmaneuvered the system of political patronage and bureaucracy that threatened the space agency. The success of Elon Musk's SpaceX, Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin, Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic, and countless other commercial space efforts were preceded by decades of work by a group of people Garver calls “space pirates.”

As the head of the NASA transition team for President-elect Barack Obama and second-in-command of the agency, Garver drove policies and funding that enabled commercial competition just as the capabilities and resources of the private sector began to mature. She was determined to deliver more valuable programs, which required breaking the self-interested cycle controlled by Congress, the aerospace industry, entrenched bureaucrats, and hero-astronauts trying to protect their own profits and mythology.

Garver reveals how-like the military-the space industrial establishment preferred to spend billions of taxpayer dollars on programs aimed to sustain jobs and contracts in key congressional districts over those that were more efficient and could deliver greater progress. Garver details how her quest to transform NASA put her in the crosshairs of these established, powerful interests who viewed her as a threat to the system that has centralized and controlled power since the 1950s.

Including insider NASA conversations and insights on the epic battles that transitioned space access to private resources for a fraction of the cost, Escaping Gravity offers a blueprint for how to drive productive and meaningful government change.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Former NASA official Lori Garver offers a front-row seat to the decades-long struggles within and among space bureaucrats and space billionaires. Bring popcorn, as you bear witness to an untold slice of space history.”

—Neil deGrasse Tyson, Astrophysicist and author of Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier

"Lori made a real difference to the future of spaceflight. Most people put their career first, so they play politics and pander to the vested interests. But there are some who truly care about humanity’s future in space and will do the right thing in the face of immense opposition. We are fortunate to have several such people in NASA senior leadership and Lori was one of them…Lori did a lot of good."

—Elon Musk

"The recent progress of commercial space travel is the result of decades of work by many determined individuals and organizations. Lori’s compelling memoir, Escaping Gravity, captures what it means to use space exploration to transform and benefit humanity right here on Earth. The book gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how a band of dreamers defied gravity and the status quo to launch a new space age." 

—Richard Branson

"Transformative change in government is often sought, but rarely achieved. In this revealing and personal book, Garver tells the fascinating story of how she helped a band of dreamers, rogue bureaucrats and billionaires usher in a new space age."

—From the foreword by Walter Isaacson

"In this personal, take-no-prisoners account, Lori Garver pulls back the curtain on the new space race, where political science joins rocket science to create today's critical mass. Buckle up for a revealing and fascinating ride!”  

—Lynn Sherr, author of Sally Ride: America's First Woman in Space 

"We are living at the most exciting time in space exploration since the Apollo era, in part because the world’s largest space agency, NASA, got around to trying something new, the funding of commercial crews. Lori Garver tells it like it is…or was for a woman effecting change at NASA despite men of the military industrial complex—and their cost-plus contracts. It wasn’t rocket science, it was much harder than that. Don’t take my word(s) for it; read this book."

—Bill Nye, CEO, The Planetary Society

"Lori Garver is a self-proclaimed 'space pirate,' who took on NASA, the aerospace industry and even members of Congress, as part of a tumultuous groundswell that helped launch the modern commercial space industry. Told without fear or favor, her compelling tale transcends the space industry and shows us, from the inside, how Washington works—who wins, who loses and who bears the scars." 

—Christian Davenport Washington Post space reporter and author of The Space Barons: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the Quest to Colonize the Cosmos. 

"As much as anyone not named Elon Musk, Lori Garver has helped prod, push, and pull NASA to embrace commercial space and all of its promise. Now, as this industry has become the envy of the world, Garver tells how it was done over the last three decades. She names names, yanks skeletons from closets, and writes illuminatingly about the brilliant future ahead of us."

—Eric Berger, Senior Space Editor at Ars Technica and author of Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days that Launched SpaceX

"How do you move a mountain? How do you change an industry with entrenched corporations making billions from and intent on keeping the status quo?  Fiercely vilified and opposed, Lori Garver remained undaunted in her quest and ultimate success in leading the transformation from bureaucracy, resistance, and risk aversion into the dynamic commercial space era we know today. Watching the transformation unfold since first working with her in the late 1990s to garner private investment in space has been rewarding even beyond my two spaceflights. Escaping Gravity is a personal and compelling story about those who recognized what widely-accessible space could mean, and the force of a team dedicated to breaking the status quo. It is among the most important stories in the history of space and offers extraordinary lessons in leadership, tenacity, and political maneuvering."

—Mary Ellen Weber, NASA Astronaut (ret.)

“Lori Garver is an unsung hero of a new space age. As NASA’s deputy administrator, she took on the old space aristocracy, made a lot of enemies, but won enough friends and battles to preserve the important dream of easier, cheaper access to space. Certainly, we would not see Elon Musk where he is now if Lori Garver hadn’t been in that job.”

—Miles O'Brien, broadcast news journalist, PBS NewsHour, CNN, Discovery Channel

“Lori Garver was the catalyst that helped bring NASA into the new Space Age. No one has done more than Lori to stand up to parochial (and patriarchal) interests in this industry and usher in a more meaningful and sustainable space program. Escaping Gravity is an enduring story of how a woman with a different background and perspective can make a difference—and become a force to be reckoned with.” 

—Emily Calandrelli, award-winning science communicator and host of FOX’s Xploration Outer Space and Netflix’s Emily's Lab

“Escaping Gravity delivers the inside story of today's commercial spaceflight revolution. Before SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin and XPRIZE, the space industry was an old boys club, with a handful of military defense companies. It was ultra-expensive and risk averse. Lori Garver led the charge to topple the old school, and engage the entrepreneurial engine we now see today. If it weren't for Lori Garver's passion and vision, we would not be on our way to the Moon and Mars today." 

—Peter H. Diamandis, MD, Founder/Chairman of XPRIZE and Singularity Universityand author of Abundance, BOLD and The Future is Faster Than You Think 

“If you're interested in the story of a pioneering woman revolutionizing the male-dominated space industry, read this book. If you're interested in the key early turning points of Elon Musk's and Richard Branson's space efforts, read this book. If you're interested in how to effect substantive change within government, industry, and the nonprofit sector, read this book! Lori's life story is filled with incredible adventures and she has had a profound impact on humanity's future in space and on Earth.”

—George Whitesides, former CEO of Virgin Galactic

“Lori Garver's Escaping Gravity is a must read to understand the 21st century remaking of the US space industry. Her clear-eyed view from inside NASA and the halls of American power reveals the why and how behind the new Space Age that's now underway. Lori artfully gives personal introductions to dozens of influential people—from the billionaires who are now household names, to the politicians, officials, celebrities, entrepreneurs, executives, and more involved. Her story is gripping and personal, interwoven with never-before-told conversations, historical facts, and battles of will.”

—Michael Sheetz, CNBC space reporter

“Not a week goes by without a new headline about yet another commercial space mission. NASA is now among the loudest cheerleaders, but that was not always the case. In Escaping Gravity, former NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver documents the long internal and external struggles that often went on behind the scenes wherein the agency slowly warmed to commercial space. She was there in the trenches pushing the agency to transform. If you want to truly understand the origins of the current revolution in commercial space, this book is a must-read.”

—Keith Cowing, Editor at NASAWatch.com

“Change is not easy–especially in fields that push the edges of our capabilities, come with high stakes and offer untold rewards. But evolution demands embracing change whether in government or in the private sector. Lori Garver’s gripping story reveals how a woman with a different background and perspective broke traditional barriers at NASA and within the space industry to beat both gravity and the status quo.”

–Dr. Mae Jemison, NASA Astronaut (ret.)

"In a hard-hitting text, Garver names names, gives details of the backroom deals she fought against, and generally portrays NASA as an egregious example of the military-industrial complex. . . . A scathing memoir that shows the ugly side of NASA while offering hope for a better future for the space agency."

—Kirkus Reviews

"In fast-paced, lay-friendly prose, Garver makes a solid case that recent advances by private space exploration companies SpaceX and Blue Origin vindicate her belief in the importance of commercial space flight. This passionate insider look offers plenty to consider."

—Publishers Weekly

Library Journal

04/01/2022

Part memoir and part argument in favor of commercial involvement in human space exploration, Garver's book details her efforts as NASA's Deputy Administrator under President Obama to dismantle the agency's Apollo Program-era mindsets and infrastructure that impeded human spaceflight into the 21st century. Incorporating details of previously unpublished conversations and reports, Garver recounts collaborating with a few likeminded "space pirates" to encourage NASA to partner with private companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic to develop the commercial crew and cargo programs for spaceflight. This book focuses primarily on the political influences and policy changes that opened the door for commercial spaceflight, and as such it reads like many other political memoirs rather than an objective history of NASA's commercial partnerships. Garver's personal agenda and politics, which she discloses, give the book a strong bias that might not appeal to all popular science readers. VERDICT With accessible language and explanations of key science concepts, this book is aimed at general audiences who are interested in the history of NASA and its emerging commercial spaceflight partners.—Lydia Fletcher

Kirkus Reviews

2022-03-19
A former deputy administrator of NASA (2009-2013) recounts her attempts to modernize the agency by enlisting the efforts of private business to cut costs and innovate.

In the prologue, Garver writes about how she received a death threat after speaking at a space conference, and much of the rest of the book details how she “made some powerful enemies” in the space establishment. In the first chapter, the author chronicles how she told Barack Obama, then a Democratic candidate for president, why she opposed extending the space shuttle program. She cited the cost, the failure of the program to fulfill the goal of 40 to 50 missions annually, and the loss of two full astronaut crews. She recommended drawing on the ability of private companies to take on routine elements of the program, freeing NASA to focus on more pressing issues, such as climate change. Garver’s forthright critique led to her being asked to lead the NASA transition team in the event of Obama’s election. She accepted the offer, eventually winning the post of deputy administrator to astronaut Charlie Bolden. In her new position, she found herself up against not only the entrenched NASA establishment—the “cup boys,” named for their coffee cups bearing their military call signs—but also members of Congress determined to protect high-budget projects in their districts. In a hard-hitting text, Garver names names, gives details of the backroom deals she fought against, and generally portrays NASA as an egregious example of the military-industrial complex. Nonetheless, she managed to smooth the way for emerging “space pirates” such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson, whose reusable commercial rockets promise to allow NASA to shift to its real missions rather than spending taxpayer dollars to develop launch vehicles. Walter Isaacson provides the foreword.

A scathing memoir that shows the ugly side of NASA while offering hope for a better future for the space agency.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176647372
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	06/14/2022
Edition description:	Unabridged

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