Open Space: From Earth to Eternity—the Global Race to Explore and Conquer the Cosmos, by David Ariosto, Knopf, 384 pages, $35
Two years ago, a Houston-based company you probably haven't heard of achieved what the United States government had not managed in over half a century: It placed a craft on the moon. The company is called Intuitive Machines, and its landing was a close thing. A sensor failure forced last-minute software overhauls and a white-knuckle descent; upon touching down, the vessel tipped over. But it worked.
