Mazzucato argues that to tackle the defining challenges of our age – climate breakdown, pandemics and inequality we need a revival of ‘moonshot’ thinking modelled on JFKs Apollo mission: bold, purpose driven, public private collaboration underpinned by the state’s proactive role in shaping markets, sharing risks and rewards, and investing in innovation for the collective good. She critiques the current finance led, short term capitalist model and highlights how governments historically created ground breaking technologies, from the internet to green energy, by setting ambitious missions, organising dynamic institutional frameworks, and fostering stakeholder partnerships. Mazzucato outlines key principles – vision, risk taking, cross sector collaboration, mission based budgeting, democratic engagement – and argues they are essential for a mission oriented political economy capable of solving today’s ‘wicked’ societal problems.