Starclimber

Matt Cruse finally has his hands on the controls, even if the job is a modest one: a summer spent piloting an aerocrane. Each load he carries helps raise the Celestial Tower, a monumental structure in Paris meant to serve as a route into outer space. The season soon turns dangerous when Matt barely survives an attack by the Babelites, a zealous group that believes humans have no right to reach the heavens.

His late-night stargazing with Kate de Vries must also stop when her parents call her home to Lionsgate City, where they expect her to start thinking about marriage. Then an opportunity arises that could put Matt back in the air. Canada hopes to become the first nation to reach space, and the Minister of Air has invited Kate to join the first expedition as a specialist in aerial zoology. There may be a place for Matt as well, but only if he can get through a punishing series of trials to become an astralnaut aboard the remarkable ship Starclimber.

The climb toward space is a competition, and Matt is determined to take part. Can he outlast the other candidates? And if he earns a seat on the crew, will the voyage ever bring anyone back to Earth?

Starclimber is the third book in a series that begins with Airborn.