National Space Society

National Space Society
Founded 1987
Type Space advocacy, 501(c)3 Education
Location
  • Washington D.C, United States
Area served
Worldwide
Website nss.org

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." [1]

The society supports manned space missions as well as unmanned space missions, 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,[2] and the L5 Society, founded in 1975 based on the concepts of Dr. Gerard K. O'Neill.[3]

The society has an elected volunteer Board of Directors and a Board of Governors.[4] The chairman of the Board of Governors is former ABC-TV 20/20 host and news anchor Hugh Downs. The chairman of the Board of Directors is Kirby Ikin.

The Independent Charities of America's Seal of Excellence

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[5] the Enterprise In Space[6] 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[7] 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)

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,[8] 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:[9]

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:[11]

Von Braun Award Winners:

Other scholarships and award activities

Other scholarships and award activities NSS provides or assists with include the following awards:

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.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "NSS Statement of Philosophy". NSS.org. May 14, 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  2. ↑ Richard Godwin, "The History of the National Space Society", Space.com, November 16, 2005 (retrieved 10 February 2015)
  3. ↑ David Brandt-Erichsen, The L5 Society, Ad Astra, Nov.-Dec., 1994 (retrieved 29 Dec. 2015).
  4. ↑ "NSS Board of Governors". NSS.org. May 14, 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  5. ↑ "National Space Society Launches "Enterprise In Space"". www.nss.org. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
  6. ↑ "Home". Enterprise In Space. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  7. ↑ Ad Astra online edition
  8. ↑ Zee News, "India's Mars Orbiter team wins National Space Society's Space Pioneer Award", January 13, 2015 (retrieved 10 February 2015)
  9. ↑ NSS Robert A. Heinlein Memorial Award (retrieved 10 August 2016)
  10. ↑ NSS Robert A. Heinlein Memorial Award Press Release (retrieved 10 August 2016)
  11. ↑ NSS Von Braun Award (retrieved 10 February 2015)
  12. ↑ ASD Members, Alliance for Space Development, retrieved March 4, 2015
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