Space is a place of unparalleled possibility for humanity, and it's undergoing a revolution. A wave of companies led by gutsy entrepreneurs are unlocking opportunities that fire the imagination. No, it's not hotels on Mars or day trips to orbit (yet), but it's an awe-inspiring transformation driven by innovative technologies, creative approaches, hard work, and—for the first time—market forces. Above all, this revolution is uncovering the simple but unfamiliar truth that space is a place: a place where countries, markets, and each of us can play a vital role in realizing some of our biggest, boldest dreams.

But we won't succeed through dreams alone. The space economy is just that—an economy—governed by the same laws of supply and demand that apply here on Earth. The authors, who teach a highly popular course on the topic at Harvard Business School, bring the revolution in space to life through players you know—like SpaceX and Blue Origin—and many you may not, like Astroscale, founded by a Japanese IT executive who quit his job to start a company to clean up space debris. They also bring to bear fundamental tools from economics to understand how the market in space is forming, how it's fast becoming a source of value for businesses across industries and for society as a whole, and how we can best ensure that its growth benefits us all.