A lifelong fascination with outer space inspired British author Samantha Harvey to write her novel "Orbital", which this week won the prestigious Booker Prize.

British author Samantha Harvey has won the Booker Prize for her novel "Orbital," which focuses on six astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

Most bets were on Percival Everett’s “James,” but the judges chose Harvey’s “beautiful, miraculous” novel, which is set aboard a space station.