Delta-v - Daniel Suarez

Delta-v tells the story of a group of commercial space pioneers on a multi-year expedition to lift humanity from an Earth-bound species to a space-faring one. Much like the private explorers of earlier centuries whose voyages were financed by investors, these new adventurers gravitate toward risk - ex-soldiers, former astronauts, cavers, salvage divers, base jumpers, and mountain climbers. As the second Age of Exploration begins, they intend to alter the trajectory of human civilization - or die trying.