Conspiracy at the Launch
A billionaire’s rocket. A dangerous truth. Three kids who know too much.
When Sam, Derek, and Caitlin witness something they shouldn’t at a high-stakes rocket launch at Virginia’s Wallops Island Space Center, they stumble into a deadly conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of the space industry.
Inside Conspiracy at the Launch.
When Sam, Derek, and Caitlin witness something they shouldn’t at a high-stakes rocket launch at Virginia’s Wallops Island Space Center, they stumble into a deadly conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of the space industry. A tech billionaire’s hidden agenda, unexplained drone sightings along Virginia’s Eastern Shore, and a brilliant engineer’s mysterious disappearance all point to one chilling conclusion: someone will do anything to keep their secrets buried.
As the young detectives dig deeper — from NASA’s historic Langley Research Center to the corridors of power in Washington — they uncover a web of deception that puts their own lives at risk. With help from a determined investigative reporter, they race to expose the truth about the Helios rocket program before it’s too late. But powerful forces are watching their every move, and the closer they get to the truth, the more dangerous their pursuit becomes.
Inside these pages
Watch a real launch from Wallops Island.
NASA Wallops Flight Facility is one of only a handful of places in the U.S. you can actually watch rockets launch — from the visitor center, the beach, or anywhere along Virginia’s Eastern Shore when a launch is scheduled.
Pair it with NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton (open to visitors on a limited basis) for a fuller picture of Virginia’s surprisingly central role in American space exploration.
NASA Wallops & NASA Langley
The real history behind the book
On the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the Air and Space Museum holds one of the world’s great collections of spacecraft, rockets, and aviation history — including artifacts from the Mercury and Apollo programs central to this book’s story.
Founded in 1917 as America’s first civil aeronautics laboratory, Langley is where the Mercury 7 astronauts trained — and where some of the women in Hidden Figures worked.
From Wallops to Langley to the Virginia astronauts who’ve flown to the Moon and the ISS, the Commonwealth has played an outsized role in American space exploration. The book leans into all of it.
Free downloadable comprehension quiz, STEM-themed activities, and a chapter-by-chapter discussion guide for Conspiracy at the Launch.
What readers are saying
“Maybe our favorite in the series… it was so captivating they read it in one sitting… it’s so fun to see how the characters have grown throughout the series.”
— Karen
“This latest in the series brings the recent news to life with drones and rocket launches. I never tire of Sam, Derek, and Caitlin’s adventures.”
— Jayda
“We started this series 10 years ago… even though my son is now in high school, he still enjoys each new release.”
— Faye
“Can’t put it down. My son can’t wait for the next book in the series.”
— Jane
All 12 Virginia Mysteries
Using Conspiracy at the Launch in your classroom?
Free comprehension quiz, discussion guide, and One Book, One School program materials available. Plus bulk pricing for classroom sets and signed copies.
Start the adventure.
Available in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audiobook everywhere books are sold — or order a signed copy direct from Steven.