The NASA director at the time was Michael Griffin, who had known Warden for decades.
(…) Griffin appointed Warden as director of the institute in May 2006.
Because Warden thought he could revamp Ames Labs and create a new, technology-focused atmosphere like Newspace.
Warden heard these words of advice from Michael.
“Come and let’s work together.
However, you should not keep making such careless remarks about NASA.” By ‘such remarks’, I mean that Warden has been publicly criticizing NASA for a long time.
Among other things, he has presented on NASA under the title 'On Self-Licking Ice Cream Cones'.
According to Worden, at some point NASA lost focus on strengthening America's space capabilities and became a bureaucratic organization.
Powerful politicians have lobbied to attract expensive projects like the Space Shuttle or the Hubble Space Telescope to their states, while blocking competitors' efforts to develop them more cheaply and quickly.
The term "self-licking ice cream cone" refers to an organization with no purpose other than its own survival, which Warden thought was a perfect description of the screw.


The good news is that in 1992, Warden knew where space exploration was headed and where it was headed.
He has consistently argued for investing in small, inexpensive satellites.
Worden also suggested that NASA focus on a series of short-term projects, such as experiments measuring climate change in space, before it's too late, rather than focusing solely on costly, long-term projects.
Of course, the result was obvious.
The screw ignored Warden's suggestion.
Although Warden promised to refrain from public criticism of NASA when he took over Ames, he had no intention of running the lab in a similar manner to his predecessor.
He had a lot to say to NASA for 25 years, but he couldn't say it properly.
Now, we have the opportunity to not only guide the screws, but also lead by example.
And Warden's achievements became legendary.
--- From "Welcome to the Ames Research Institute"

At the heart of Rainbow Mansion were friends who had bonds as strong as family.
They were bound together by idealism, sharing a love of space and something profound.
The group believed they could change the world for the better, and Marshall and Singler tried to instill this same spirit in those who passed through Rainbow Mansion.
In addition to the core group, a variety of unique characters have passed through Rainbow Mansion.
There were usually two or three NASA employees and a few employees from Apple, Google, or startups.
Some people lived in their own rooms, while others were staying in temporary accommodation filled with bunk beds.
Many of the new residents of Rainbow Mansion were drawn to Marshall's unusual ad on an online flea market.
I've seen ads like, "Looking for a driven, passionate young woman who wants to change the world" or "Seeking a roommate to join our intellectual community."
Instead of describing the location or structure of the house, we moved on to describing the people who lived there.
Also, imagine coming home from work on a Wednesday night to find 15 people gathered in the study having an impromptu dinner party.
They also ran ads asking questions like, “How do you feel?” or “What are two things you would like to influence or contribute to in your life?”
When new people came in, Marshall sometimes asked them about their work and life choices.
I asked them what they were doing, why they were doing it, why they were doing it that way, and what their ultimate goal was.


These were questions that arose from Marshall's endless curiosity.
He just wanted to learn from people and understand their way of thinking.
This Socratic method of dialogue also made people think about how they spend their time.
Although it wasn't Marshall's intention, some reportedly went crazy after the conversation and curled up in a fetal position in a corner of the room.
(…) To put it a bit grandly, Rainbow Mansion was a joint research and development lab for art and cutting-edge technology.
When I entered the house, the artwork on the wall was often replaced with a new piece.
At one point, a giant tetrahedron made of toilet paper and paper towels was hung from the ceiling of the entrance.
Most of the Rainbow Mansion residents have joined the open-source software movement, which advocates for releasing the source code of software so that anyone can use and modify it freely.
Rainbow Mansion hosted hackathons, and coders would flock to the mansion to work all evening and on weekends.
--- From "Rainbow Mansion"

Beck had never actually built a rocket.
This was also the case for Rocket Lab employees.
Because rockets are essentially ICBMs, the United States has placed strict restrictions on those researching related technologies.
So Rocket Lab couldn't hire veterans who had developed rockets in the past in the United States, and ended up having to recruit young college graduates from New Zealand, Australia, and Europe.
With inexperienced leaders and inexperienced employees, Rocket Lab's failure was inevitable.
But Beck was a professional engineer with an innate sense of physics and how machines work.
Beck believed that by combining his talents with the remarkable advances in computing and materials, he could unleash a new world of rockets created by innovative people in new environments.
Rocket science was still difficult and complex, but that meant there was no longer any reason to think of rocket technology as the exclusive domain of geniuses.
Access to rockets has become easier.
Rocket Lab wasn't trying to build complex, cutting-edge spacecraft.


Large rockets still required massive investment and a certain level of expertise.
Beck wanted to create the most elegant and precise small rocket possible.
Rather than sending people to the moon or Mars, Beck wanted to build tools that would unlock the potential of space for someone.
“I came here for the private space industry.
That's all that matters to Rocket Lab.
There's no need to make a big fuss.
“We have a job to do, so we’ll just keep quiet,” Beck told me in January 2016, vowing to begin planning for low-Earth orbit by the middle of that year.
Beck spoke with such passion and confidence that I wanted to believe him.
I wanted to believe that Rocket Lab would usher in a new and exciting era in the private space industry.
But I couldn't help but smile politely and chuckle inwardly.
Did Peter Beck know what would happen next? Most rocket companies follow a similar pattern.
First the schedule is delayed, then the rocket explodes, and then the funding runs out.
--- From "A New Zealand Astronaut's CV"

It was two hours before the rocket launch.
If it failed, we had to close the webcast and wait a few weeks again.
The rocket's ignition system began to malfunction again.
I briefly considered running tests on the ignition, but decided there was little to be gained from doing so.
(…) Kemp reopened the webcast and announced to everyone in a bright and hopeful voice.
Kemp: Ladies and gentlemen, we have news from Mission Control.
A review of the engine and rocket data indicates that all ignition devices are in good working order.
In the next 10 to 15 minutes, the Alaska team will refuel the rocket, set the time for launch to eight minutes, and then standby.
So please wait.
We will launch within an hour and a half.
The launch will take place today.
But the rocket did not launch that day.
On November 11, Rocket Lab launched its third rocket from its launch pad in New Zealand.
Although the launch was delayed somewhat due to technical issues, Peter Beck effectively signaled to the industry that Rocket Lab had reached a new milestone and was committed to continuing its rocket launches for customers.
Aerospace engineers share news, and Beck heard that Astra was struggling in Alaska.
Beck didn't think much of Astra's rocket.
Beck enjoyed the pleasure of success while Astra wasted time and money in Alaska waiting for a launch opportunity.
On November 29th, Astra did its best to catch up with Rocket Lab.
In the control center, the following situation unfolded for 15 minutes.

Hoffmann: 40, 33, 32, 31, 30, 20, 15, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.

The engine ignited and the rocket rose into the sky.
High fives were exchanged in the headquarters office in Alameda.
Cheers erupted in Kodiak too.

Kemp: Yay! That's right.
ha ha ha.
good.
oh my god.

20 seconds passed.


Hoffman: Engine failure.
Engine number 5 problem.
All engines lost thrust.

The control center was in an uproar.
The rocket crashed right next to its launch site.
Someone blocked the webcast to prevent viewers from seeing the crash and debris.

--- From "Expensive Fireworks"

It is dangerous to write a book like this.
You will have a detailed understanding of what it means to create a new field within capitalism.
(…) Various images and science transmitted from low-Earth orbit satellites, including space internet, will become the basis for new computer infrastructure.
As mentioned earlier, this will inevitably have consequences that cannot yet be clearly explained or measured.
Many people question the assumptions behind the risky gamble that is the space industry.
People are convinced that the bubble in the private space industry will eventually burst without much success.
But I am convinced that, while there will be painful moments along the way, technological evolution will continue, and as a result, the way the world works will fundamentally change.
This is a characteristic that technology and the human spirit exhibit when a new field is created.
As quoted in the preface to this book, “Look up.
“We have defied the laws of gravity and tore down the ceiling of a world that was so low.” (…)

SpaceX sent thousands of Starlink antennas to Ukraine after Russia attempted to destroy the country's communications infrastructure.
This space internet has enabled the Ukrainian military to operate in ways that would have been impossible just a few years ago.
Because the Russian military lacked the ability to crack the encrypted Starlink system, Ukrainian forces were able to communicate securely with each other.
Ukraine has also been able to use Starlink technology to control military drones, enabling them to conduct thousands of bombing missions across the country.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Elon Musk, and Ukrainian military generals posted similar expressions of gratitude online.
Although satellite technology has been used in warfare in the past, the conflict between Ukraine and Russia can be considered the first true space war.
Tools built by private space companies have turned the tide of the war, weakening the Russian military and benefiting Ukraine.

--- From "Epilogue"