The best space reporter in the business has a new book on the most interesting company in space

[View this email in your browser]( [Open Ars Technica in your browser]( The most fascinating topic on Earth is the one mostly dealing with stuff trying to leave. Space continues to capture the collective imagination like nothing else, and the last year may have made that fact clearer than ever. After all, as the entire world tried to navigate the early stages of global pandemic, a contentious election season heated up, and the US grappled yet again with systemic racism and police violence against Black Americans, the only thing that seemed to calm the room and unite people even temporarily was [the launch of two astronauts into orbit from US soil](. We love space at Ars Technica, and we've been especially invested ever since hiring our first full-time space editor, Eric Berger, back in 2015. This month has been a particularly big one for him, as Berger launched his first book—Liftoff, which details how Elon Musk and SpaceX went from small startup with big ideas to the industry-leading power it is today. You read that correctly: The best space reporter in the business has a new book on the industry's most interesting and influential company. So for this week's Orbital Transmission, allow us to brag about our favorite space reporter by sharing some of Eric Berger's latest work. Even as he's had to balance a few press engagements—catch him talking with NASA about ["NASA and the Rise of Commercial Space” on March 17](, for instance—Berger continues to churn out stories on the latest things happening in the space industry, whether they center on SpaceX, national space programs, or the [numerous companies trying to make a name in private space](. With this newsletter edition, we finally understand the pride every parent has when that first report card or coloring book page makes it up onto the refrigerator. Sniff. —[Nathan Mattise]( Dealmaster's Deal of the Week Dealmaster's Deal of the Week Luigi's Mansion 3 (Switch) for $39 at Amazon (normally $55) Today is "Mario Day" (March 10 = Mar10, get it?), and Nintendo is celebrating its favorite mascot by [discounting several games in the Mario universe](. That includes the [Ars-approved Luigi's Mansion 3](, which is roughly $15 off the street price we typically see online. [$39 at Amazon]( Orbital Transmission 03.10.2021 Orbital Transmission 03.10.2021 [(image) ]( Check out not one, but two excerpts from Liftoff [Read Full Story »]( Check out not one, but two excerpts from Liftoff If Berger's new book isn't already on your TBR list for 2021, allow us to provide a sneak peek. On site, he shared a chapter that outlined the 2008 moment that changed everything for SpaceX. The company had already tried (and failed) to launch the company flagship, its Falcon 1 rocket. If attempt number three didn't pan out, well, money was already getting tight. And over at Wired, Berger shared the chapter revealing [how CEO Elon Musk initially recruited the unsung hero of SpaceX](: Gwynne Shotwell, the company's president and COO. [Read Full Story »]( [(image) ]( SpaceX's future may be just as ambitious if its plans for South Texas are any indication [Read Full Story »]( SpaceX's future may be just as ambitious if its plans for South Texas are any indication Speaking of SpaceX, Berger has continued to report on the company's latest initiatives even while he's finding time to promote the new book. Fresh off [the spectacle that was the latest Starship test](, details of SpaceX's proposed South Texas spaceport quietly became public this week. They were posted in a public notice from the US Army Corps of engineers as part of a federal review process. The report has some extremely interesting details. There's the striking amount of stuff SpaceX wants to fit in a relatively compact space (two orbital launch pads, two landing pads, two test stands, etc...) and the continued impact on the communities around Boca Chica (Musk has separately even proposed incorporating a new city, called Starbase, Texas, to have more control over its test launches). "This is a non-traditional and possibly risky bet," Berger writes. "But SpaceX has always been willing to take risks during development programs in order to move more quickly." [Read Full Story »]( [(image) ]( Stay on top of the latest rocket happenings with the Rocket Report [Read Full Story »]( Stay on top of the latest rocket happenings with the Rocket Report If Berger's continued coverage of the latest happenings in space (and the space industry) interest you... you're reading the weekly Rocket Report, right? His weekly newsletter [started initially as an industry experiment with NYU's Jay Rosen to track the power of audience-driven journalism](, but it's continued because each issue consistently uncovers the most interesting stories about space as suggested by a rabid, informed, and insightful community of space enthusiasts. Plus, you'll never miss a launch since each edition ends with the upcoming dates to know across the industry. (Go ahead, [subscribe now]( then come back here to finish... we'll wait.) [Read Full Story »]( [(image) ]( Come for the space stuff, stay for the latest in extreme weather, too [Read Full Story »]( Come for the space stuff, stay for the latest in extreme weather, too When reading Berger's bio for Liftoff, I learned something new about my colleague—he was a Pulitzer Prize finalist once upon a time at the Houston Chronicle. This prestigious journalism honor didn't come calling about anything dealing with space, however. Berger is also a trained meteorologist, as folks who've [caught his coverage at Ars]( or on his personal website ([SpaceCityWeather]() know all too well. His Pulitzer-nominated work dealt with Hurricane Ike, but he's still tracking the biggest weather-related stories... like the recent historic winter weather that devastated his home state of Texas. [Read Full Story »]( [(image) Condé Nast Spotlight | The breaking news and top stories everyone is talking about. All in one place. The most popular stories from Vogue, GQ, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Wired, Architectural Digest and more. STAY INFORMED]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2021 Condé Nast, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Condé Nast One World Trade Center New York, NY 10007 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences](newsletter=ars) or [unsubscribe from this list](newsletter=ars).