The epic story of the next space race is happening right before our eyes—driven by rival nations, billionaire-funded ventures, and breakthrough technologies once thought impossible—all vying to steer the future of humankind.

For the first time in history, the dream of humans settling beyond Earth is within reach. As a new wave of privateers emerge with the hopes of sending Americans back to the Moon and onto Mars, China is already looking farther. And yet the Russians, Indians, Japanese, and Europeans aren’t far behind. Taken together, these ambitions signal not only a realignment of global power, but also a transformative leap into the economy of the future. At stake is the chance to discover space’s unrealized potential, and in doing so, kick-start a new stage of human advancement. But what do these missions look like? What emerging technologies will prove decisive? Who will arrive and build first? And what can everyday people expect when surveillance states and profit-driven companies compete in space?

From a return to the Moon and secretive military-run stations and the coming spaceborne fusion of AI and quantum tech, to breakneck preparations for Mars and the deeper reaches of our galaxy, a new era of exploration and competition is upon us. With unique and unprecedented access, intrepid space journalist David Ariosto delivers a behind-the-scenes look into the key players across five continents that are now dominating this current age of space exploration, as well as the key policymakers and frontier technologies that are making it all possible.

Brilliant, propulsive, and awe-inspiring, Open Space charts the future of this new era of exploration and our place within it.