In 2002, a part-time single mother at a small rocketry consultancy was driving on an LA freeway when she decided she was being an idiot for not taking a job at a startup with zero successful launches and seven employees. Gwynne Shotwell joined SpaceX as employee number seven. Her job: convince governments and corporations to buy rides on rockets that didn't exist yet. The Falcon 1 failed three times. On the fourth attempt, September 2008, it reached orbit. Two months later, Shotwell negotiated a $1.6 billion NASA contract that saved the company from bankruptcy. She was promoted to President the...