I still get a kick out of how a strong first chapter can yank you into a book, and with 'Liftoff' the person who crafted that initial pull is the book’s credited author. They wrote the opening chapter themselves, setting tone, voice, and the inciting detail that drives the rest of the narrative. That’s pretty common — unless a book explicitly notes a special contribution, the opening chapter belongs to the novelist who owns the byline on the cover.
What I enjoy is noticing the small choices that signal authorship: sentence rhythm, the kind of sensory detail used, even how the chapter ends on a hook. In some editions you might also find a foreword, introduction, or an editor’s note written by someone else, but those are separate from the opening chapter proper. For me, reading that first chapter of 'Liftoff' felt like eavesdropping on the author's blueprint, and it left me buzzing for more.