 | |
| Founded | 1987 |
|---|---|
| Type | Space advocacy, 501(c)3 Education |
| Location |
|
Area served
| Worldwide |
| Website | nss |
The National Space Society (NSS) is an American international nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational and scientific organization specializing in space advocacy. It is a member of the Independent Charities of America and an annual participant in the Combined Federal Campaign. The society's vision is: "People living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth, and the use of the vast resources of space for the dramatic betterment of humanity."
The society supports human spaceflight and robotic spaceflight, by both the public (e.g., NASA, Russian Federal Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and private sector (e.g., Ansari X Prize, Transformational Space, Scaled Composites, etc.) organizations.
History
The society was established in the United States on March 28, 1987 by the merger of the National Space Institute, founded in 1974 by Dr. Wernher von Braun, and the L5 Society, founded in 1975 based on the concepts of Dr. Gerard K. O'Neill.
The society has an elected volunteer Board of Directors and a Board of Governors. The chairman of the Board of Governors is United States Air Force Colonel Karlton Johnson (retired). The chairman of the Board of Directors is Kirby Ikin.
The National Space Society was awarded the "Five-Star Best in
America" award by the Independent Charities of America organization in
2005.
In 2014, the National Space Society launched the Enterprise In Space
program. In order to ignite interest in space and science, technology,
engineering, art and math (STEAM) education, Enterprise In Space plans
to design, build, and launch a 3D-printed spacecraft into Earth orbit
carrying 100+ experiments from K to postgraduate student teams. The
orbiter is planned to be returned to Earth with the experiments for the
student teams to analyze.
Ad Astra
The Society publishes a magazine Ad Astra, which appears quarterly in print and electronic form.
International Space Development Conference
The society hosts an annual International Space Development Conference (ISDC) held in major cities throughout the United States, often during or close to the Memorial Day weekend.
NSS Chapters network
Locations and "sphere of operation" of current NSS chapters in the United States (image courtesy of NSS)
As listed in each quarterly issue of Ad Astra,
a large number of NSS chapters exist around the world. The chapters may
serve a local area such as a school, city or town, or have a topical or
special interest focus, such as a rocketry or astronomy club, or educational/community outreach
program. Chapters are the peripheral organs of the society by
organizing events, communicating with the public on the merits and
benefits of space exploration, and working to educate political leaders.
Location of current NSS chapters in Australia (image courtesy of NSS)
National Space Society of Australia
A strong contingent of chapters is located in Australia.
Prior to the NSI-L5 merger, the L5 Society had been developing chapters
around the world, and in Australia, three chapters had been
established. The 'Southern Cross L5 Society' was formed in 1979, with
groups in Sydney, Adelaide (in 1984) and Brisbane (in 1986). It was decided in late 1989 to create the National Space Society of Australia (NSSA) which could act as an umbrella organization.
Similar efforts have taken hold in Brazil, Canada and Mexico, as
well as European countries that have a strong aerospace presence.
including France, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Awards
The society administers a number of awards. These are typically presented during the annual International Space Development Conference that NSS hosts. These awards are in recognition of individual volunteer effort, awards for NSS chapter work, the "Space Pioneer" award, and two significant awards which are presented in alternate years.
Robert A. Heinlein Memorial Award
The Robert A. Heinlein Memorial Award,
is given in even-numbered years (2004, 2006, etc.) to "honor those
individuals who have made significant, lifetime contributions to the
creation of a free spacefaring civilization.
Heinlein Award Winners:
- 2018 - Dr. Freeman Dyson
- 2016 - Dr. Jerry Pournelle
- 2014 - Elon Musk
- 2012 - Dr. Stephen Hawking
- 2010 - Dr. Peter Diamandis
- 2008 - Burt Rutan
- 2006 - Brigadier General Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager
- 2004 - Capt. James Lovell
- 2002 - Robert Zubrin
- 2000 - Neil Armstrong
- 1998 - Dr. Carl Sagan
- 1996 - Dr. Buzz Aldrin
- 1994 - Dr. Robert H. Goddard
- 1992 - Gene Roddenberry
- 1990 - Dr. Wernher von Braun
- 1988 - Sir Arthur C. Clarke
- 1986 - Dr. Gerard K. O'Neill
NSS Von Braun Award
The NSS Von Braun Award is given in odd-numbered years (1993, 1995, etc.)
"to recognize excellence in management of and leadership for a
space-related project where the project is significant and successful
and the manager has the loyalty of a strong team that he or she has
created." Awardees include:
Von Braun Award Winners:
- 2019 - Tory Bruno
- 2017 - Prof. Johann-Dietrich Wörner
- 2015 - Mars Curiosity Rover project Team
- 2013 - Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
- 2011 - JAXA Hayabusa Team
- 2009 - Elon Musk
- 2007 - Steven W. Squyres
- 2005 - Burt Rutan
- 2001 - Donna Shirley
- 1999 - Robert C. Seamans, Jr.
- 1997 - George Mueller
- 1995 - Max Hunter
- 1993 - Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger
Other scholarships and award activities
Other scholarships and award activities NSS provides or assists with include the following awards:
- The Space Pioneer Awards
- The NSS-ISU scholarship, worth $12,000, to the International Space University. Application deadline is December 31 of each year, for study during the following year. The 2005 recipient was Robert Guinness of St. Louis;
- EURISY international youth science fiction writing competition (NSS provided US support in 2005), and;
- Permission to Dream space adventure for students, teachers and parents from the Space Frontier Foundation which is partly sponsored by NSS.
Affiliations
The National Space Society is an alliance organization of the Meade 4M Community, the Coalition for Space Exploration, in support of the educational initiatives and outreach of NSS, and a founding executive member of the Alliance for Space Development.
