Silicon Sky

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 352 pages
• Published by: Basic Books April 25, 2000
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0738203122
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0738203126
• Book Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Weighs: 1.1 pounds

Product Review
Gary Dorsey's Silicon Sky tells the engrossing tale of a private company's quest to develop the world's first low-earth-orbit commercial satellite--a momentous accomplishment that paved the way for everything from reasonably priced GPS navigational receivers to pay-at-the-pump credit-card terminals at filling stations. Dorsey tackles the true story of the emerging world of "microspace" in a manner reminiscent of Tracy Kidder's pioneering The Soul of a New Machine, using an interesting combination of first-hand observations, critical analysis, and literary techniques usually found in novels. By sticking close to Orbital Sciences Corporation's extensive cast of characters working in the early design stages in 1992 through the product launch in 1995, Dorsey brings readers into the labs and boardrooms as the fledgling operation grows into a booming company that entered 1998 with $3.9 billion in orders already in its books. --Howard Rothman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Scientific American
The small start-up of the title, now a darling of investors, is Orbital Satellite Corporation. At a time when the U.S. government's space programs had slid into a pattern of what aerospace historian Alex Roland called gargantuan missions, overwrought technology and excessive budgets, David Thompson--the driving spirit and CEO of Orbital--saw an opportunity for commercial success in space. His idea was to put up a constellation of small satellites in orbit a few hundred miles above the earth to provide such consumer services as telecommunications, position finding and vehicle navigation. The company succeeded by developing small satellites and rockets to launch them. By 1998 Orbital had become one of the ten largest satellite-related firms in North America, with earnings estimated at $750 million. Dorsey, a journalist, spent the period from 1992 to 1995 closely observing the company's activities. His breezy account of the adventure is an entry in the Sloan Technology Series. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: Silicon Sky: How One Small Start-Up Went Over the Top to Beat the Big Boys Into Satellite Heaven (Hardcover) It is almost invariable that stories that I have personal knowledge of are conveyed with glaring errors and omissions. I am happy to say that Gary Dorsey's book is a notable exception. I joined Orbital in 1996 and worked on the subsequent Orbcomm constellation, which started after the completion of the book. Of the principals who worked on the original Orbcomm and stayed for the constellation development, Mr. Dorsey captures the character of each with incredible precision. Mr. Dorsey also gets the technical details right. He has a real knack for picking up how engineers talk to each other and how technical problems penetrate their equilibrium. My only issue with the book is that it's episodic in nature and fails to follow specific technical problems and their human actors to resolution. Comment | | (Report this)