National Space Society
Encyclopedia
The National Space Society (NSS) is an international nonprofit 501(c)(3), educational, and scientific organization specializing in space advocacy
. NSS is a member of the Independent Charities of America, and an annual participant in the Combined Federal Campaign
.
The society supports manned space missions as well as unmanned space missions, which are remotely-controlled or robot
ic space probes 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.
The National Space Society was established in the United States on March 28, 1987, as a result of a merger between two space advocacy organizations: the National Space Institute
, founded by Dr. Wernher von Braun
; and the L5 Society
, based on the concepts of Dr. Gerard K. O'Neill.
The society enjoys the support of, and is served by, a volunteer elected Board of Directors
and Board of Governors
consisting of such individuals as astronauts Buzz Aldrin
, Michael Collins
, Frank Borman
, Jim Lovell
, John Glenn
, Harrison Schmitt
, Gerald Carr, William Pogue and Kenneth Money
, writers C. J. Cherryh
and Ben Bova
, actors and entertainers Tom Hanks
, Tom Cruise
, Lance Bass
, Nichelle Nichols
and Bruce Boxleitner
, scientists Dr. Alan Binder, Dr. K. Eric Drexler
, Dr. David Criswell
, Maria von Braun and many others.
The chairman of the society's 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 current Executive Director of NSS as of April 2010 is Gary Barnhard who replaced George T. Whitesides
after he accepted an offer to work on the NASA transition team with the Obama administration in 2009, eventually securing a position as chief of staff to NASA administrator Charles Bolden before becoming the CEO and president of Virgin Galactic
, in late 2010.
(ISDC) held in major cities and venues throughout the United States. Often been held during or close to the Memorial Day
weekend, the 30th ISDC in 2011 "From the Ground Up" is being held May 18-21 at the Wernher von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The general public is provided the opportunity to follow key remarks and presentations via video streaming, provided by Spacevidcast
. In 2009, Spacevidcast became the exclusive webcaster of the ISDC
As part of its coverage of the ISDC, Spacevidcast hosts provided live video webcasts of the main presentations as well as an option for viewers to send questions via the chat room. The videos were also made available on demand. In addition to direct coverage of the conference, Spacevidcast also broadcast a regular weekly show from the ISDC 2009 setting and the hosts participated in a panel discussion on May 29 entitled Space Media 2.0.
Archived files of past ISDC conferences can also be reviewed via the Islandone.org ISDC website.
NSS also sponsors and supports smaller, regional conferences as well. The Society's magazine Ad Astra
is published quarterly.
A large number of NSS chapters exist around the world as a means to involve members in local groups for a variety of purposes. Some of these purposes include space advocacy, education, volunteering, and technical projects that can excite and energize the grassroots space movement.
NSS chapters may serve a local area such as a school, city or town, or have a topical or special interest focus, such as a rocket
ry 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, working to educate political leaders, and inspiring new generations of space activists.
Active chapters are eligible to receive a number of resources regularly supplied by NSS. For example, chapters may establish a local web site on the NSS Chapter Network.
Physical resources, such as NSS banners, copies of Ad Astra
magazine, membership brochures and the like are provided to chapters on an ad hoc
basis, usually upon request via the chapters committee.
A very 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).
As the NSS network in Australia developed and chapter membership numbers grew, the need became apparent for a greater national structure to be developed to coordinate the many activities of the Society.
Following discussion with all chapters, it was decided in late 1989 to create the National Space Society of Australia (NSSA) which could act as an umbrella organization under which all chapters could operate, providing for them a single identity in which to be recognized by, and through which resources, finances and administration could be pooled for the better operation of all chapters. The change to NSSA, while linking to the parent organization, has helped to further strengthen NSSA's own independent, self-governed identity in Australia.
Similar efforts have taken hold in Brazil
, Canada
and Mexico
, as well as European countries that have a strong aerospace presence. NSS chapters within the European Union
include France
, Germany
and the Netherlands
.
Individuals interested in joining as an individual member or forming a chapter of like-minded peers within their own community can fill out a "Request to form an NSS chapter" form either in writing, by going on-line to the main website, or by personally calling the Washington, D.C.
headquarters office for more information or assistance.
The National Space Society was awarded the "Five-Star Best in America" award by the Independent Charities of America organization in 2005:
The Independent Charities' Seal of Excellence is awarded to the members of Independent Charities of America and Local Independent Charities of America that have, upon rigorous independent review, been able to certify, document, and demonstrate on an annual basis that they meet the highest standards of public accountability, program effectiveness, and cost effectiveness. These standards include those required by the US Government for inclusion in the Combined Federal Campaign , probably the most exclusive fund drive in the world. According to Independent Charities, of the 1,000,000 charities operating in the United States today, it is estimated that fewer than 50,000, or 5 percent, meet or exceed these standards, and, of those, fewer than 2,000 have been awarded this Seal.
Additionally, NSS manages a number of awards via an awards committee. 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:
Other scholarships and award activities NSS provides or assists with include the following awards:
An NSS-sponsored CD of songs celebrating the history and future of space exploration was released on December 31, 2003.
"To Touch The Stars: A Musical celebration of Space Exploration" was a joint project of the NSS, the Mars Society
and Seattle-based music publisher Prometheus Music. Six years in the making, the 17 tracks span a stylistic range including folk music
, rock and roll
, majestic ballad
s and ska
.
The top entrants of the NSS Apollo Awards for Space Songwriting are also featured on the CD, and various selections have been turned into fan-based music video
s currently posted on YouTube
and other video sharing
websites:
In celebration of the successful arrival of the Phoenix Mars Lander on Mars, "To Touch the Stars" has been made available for free listening in CD-quality streaming audio. Teachers and space educators may also contact the publisher for a free digital download of the album.
Space advocacy
Space advocacy can be described as the general position supporting, pleading or arguing for the idea or cause of space exploration and settlements...
. NSS is a member of the Independent Charities of America, and an annual participant in the Combined Federal Campaign
Combined Federal Campaign
The Combined Federal Campaign is a program allowing certain charitable organizations to solicit contributions from employees of the federal government of the United States...
.
The National Space 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.
— National Space Society vision statement
The society supports manned space missions as well as unmanned space missions, which are remotely-controlled or robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
ic space probes by both the public (e.g., NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, Russian Federal Space Agency
Russian Federal Space Agency
The Russian Federal Space Agency , commonly called Roscosmos and abbreviated as FKA and RKA , is the government agency responsible for the Russian space science program and general aerospace research. It was previously the Russian Aviation and Space Agency .Headquarters of Roscosmos are located...
and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
The , or JAXA, is Japan's national aerospace agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on October 1, 2003, as an Independent Administrative Institution administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the...
) and private sector (e.g., Ansari X Prize
Ansari X Prize
The Ansari X Prize was a space competition in which the X Prize Foundation offered a US$10,000,000 prize for the first non-government organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft into space twice within two weeks...
, Transformational Space, Scaled Composites
Scaled Composites
Scaled Composites is an aerospace company founded by Burt Rutan and currently owned by Northrop Grumman that is located at the Mojave Spaceport, Mojave, California, United States...
, etc.) organizations.
The National Space Society was established in the United States on March 28, 1987, as a result of a merger between two space advocacy organizations: the National Space Institute
National Space Institute
The National Space Institute was a space advocacy group, the first of its kind, established by Dr. Wernher von Braun to help maintain the public's support for the United States space program. It has since merged, in 1987, with the L5 Society founded by Dr. Gerard K...
, founded by Dr. Wernher von Braun
Wernher von Braun
Wernher Magnus Maximilian, Freiherr von Braun was a German rocket scientist, aerospace engineer, space architect, and one of the leading figures in the development of rocket technology in Nazi Germany during World War II and in the United States after that.A former member of the Nazi party,...
; and the L5 Society
L5 Society
The L5 Society was founded in 1975 by Carolyn and Keith Henson to promote the space colony ideas of Dr Gerard K. O'Neill.The name comes from the and Lagrangian points in the Earth-Moon system proposed as locations for the huge rotating space habitats that Dr O'Neill envisioned...
, based on the concepts of Dr. Gerard K. O'Neill.
The society enjoys the support of, and is served by, a volunteer elected Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
and Board of Governors
Board of governors
Board of governors is a term sometimes applied to the board of directors of a public entity or non-profit organization.Many public institutions, such as public universities, are government-owned corporations. The British Broadcasting Corporation was managed by a board of governors, though this role...
consisting of such individuals as astronauts Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin is an American mechanical engineer, retired United States Air Force pilot and astronaut who was the Lunar Module pilot on Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing in history...
, Michael Collins
Michael Collins (astronaut)
Michael Collins is a former American astronaut and test pilot. Selected as part of the third group of fourteen astronauts in 1963, he flew in space twice. His first spaceflight was Gemini 10, in which he and command pilot John Young performed two rendezvous with different spacecraft and Collins...
, Frank Borman
Frank Borman
Frank Frederick Borman, II is a retired NASA astronaut and engineer, best remembered as the Commander of Apollo 8, the first mission to fly around the Moon, making him, along with fellow crew mates Jim Lovell and Bill Anders, the first of only 24 humans to do so...
, Jim Lovell
Jim Lovell
James "Jim" Arthur Lovell, Jr., is a former NASA astronaut and a retired captain in the United States Navy, most famous as the commander of the Apollo 13 mission, which suffered a critical failure en route to the Moon but was brought back safely to Earth by the efforts of the crew and mission...
, John Glenn
John Glenn
John Herschel Glenn, Jr. is a former United States Marine Corps pilot, astronaut, and United States senator who was the first American to orbit the Earth and the third American in space. Glenn was a Marine Corps fighter pilot before joining NASA's Mercury program as a member of NASA's original...
, Harrison Schmitt
Harrison Schmitt
Harrison Hagan "Jack" Schmitt is an American geologist, a retired NASA astronaut, university professor, and a former U.S. senator from New Mexico....
, Gerald Carr, William Pogue and Kenneth Money
Kenneth Money
Kenneth Money is the Senior Scientist at the Defence and Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine in Toronto. He has published over one hundred science articles and authored six different topics in the World Book Encyclopedia.-Education:Money attended North Toronto Collegiate Institute for high...
, writers C. J. Cherryh
C. J. Cherryh
Carolyn Janice Cherry , better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is a United States science fiction and fantasy author...
and Ben Bova
Ben Bova
Benjamin William Bova is an American science-fiction author and editor. He is the recipient of six Hugo Awards for Best Professional Editor for his work at Analog Science Fiction in the 1970's.-Personal life:...
, actors and entertainers Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
, Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
, Lance Bass
Lance Bass
James Lance Bass , best known as Lance Bass, is an American pop singer, dancer, actor, film and television producer, and author. He grew up in Mississippi and rose to fame as the bass singer for the American pop boy band 'N Sync. 'N Sync's success led Bass to work in film and television...
, Nichelle Nichols
Nichelle Nichols
Nichelle Nichols is an American actress, singer and voice artist. She sang with Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton before turning to acting...
and Bruce Boxleitner
Bruce Boxleitner
Bruce William Boxleitner is an American actor, and science fiction and suspense writer. He is known for his leading roles in the television series How the West Was Won, Bring 'Em Back Alive, Scarecrow and Mrs. King , and Babylon 5...
, scientists Dr. Alan Binder, Dr. K. Eric Drexler
K. Eric Drexler
Dr. Kim Eric Drexler is an American engineer best known for popularizing the potential of molecular nanotechnology , from the 1970s and 1980s.His 1991 doctoral thesis at MIT was revised and published as...
, Dr. David Criswell
David Criswell
David R. Criswell, Ph.D is currently the Director of the Institute for Space Systems Operations at the University of Houston. ISSO is the operational agent for the Houston Partnership for Space Exploration....
, Maria von Braun and many others.
The chairman of the society's Board of Governors is former ABC-TV
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
20/20 host and news anchor Hugh Downs
Hugh Downs
Hugh Malcolm Downs is a long time American broadcaster, television host, news anchor, TV producer, author, game show host, and music composer; and is perhaps best known for his role as co-host the NBC News program Today from 1962 to 1971, host of the Concentration game show from 1958 to 1969, and...
. The chairman of the Board of Directors is Kirby Ikin. The current Executive Director of NSS as of April 2010 is Gary Barnhard who replaced George T. Whitesides
George T. Whitesides
George Thomas Whitesides is CEO and President of Virgin Galactic, a firm developing commercial space vehicles. He was previously Chief of Staff of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a position to which he was named after serving on the NASA transition team for the incoming Obama...
after he accepted an offer to work on the NASA transition team with the Obama administration in 2009, eventually securing a position as chief of staff to NASA administrator Charles Bolden before becoming the CEO and president of Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic is a company within Richard Branson's Virgin Group which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public, along with suborbital space science missions and orbital launches of small satellites...
, in late 2010.
International Space Development Conference
The National Space Society hosts an annual International Space Development ConferenceInternational Space Development Conference
The International Space Development Conference is the annual conference of the National Space Society . Now in its 30th year, these conferences connect the general public and the NSS membership with leaders of contemporary space efforts...
(ISDC) held in major cities and venues throughout the United States. Often been held during or close to the Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
weekend, the 30th ISDC in 2011 "From the Ground Up" is being held May 18-21 at the Wernher von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The general public is provided the opportunity to follow key remarks and presentations via video streaming, provided by Spacevidcast
SpaceVidcast
Spacevidcast, often abbreviated as SVC, is a live weekly HD video podcast hosted by husband and wife team, Cariann Higginbotham and Benjamin Higginbotham...
. In 2009, Spacevidcast became the exclusive webcaster of the ISDC
As part of its coverage of the ISDC, Spacevidcast hosts provided live video webcasts of the main presentations as well as an option for viewers to send questions via the chat room. The videos were also made available on demand. In addition to direct coverage of the conference, Spacevidcast also broadcast a regular weekly show from the ISDC 2009 setting and the hosts participated in a panel discussion on May 29 entitled Space Media 2.0.
Archived files of past ISDC conferences can also be reviewed via the Islandone.org ISDC website.
NSS also sponsors and supports smaller, regional conferences as well. The Society's magazine Ad Astra
Ad Astra (magazine)
Ad Astra literally means "To the Stars." This award-winning quarterly magazine is published by the National Space Society , a nonprofit, 501 aerospace advocacy and educational institution headquartered in Washington, D.C.....
is published quarterly.
NSS Chapters network
NSS chapters may serve a local area such as a school, city or town, or have a topical or special interest focus, such as a rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
ry or astronomy club, or educational/community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
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, working to educate political leaders, and inspiring new generations of space activists.
Active chapters are eligible to receive a number of resources regularly supplied by NSS. For example, chapters may establish a local web site on the NSS Chapter Network.
Physical resources, such as NSS banners, copies of Ad Astra
Ad Astra (magazine)
Ad Astra literally means "To the Stars." This award-winning quarterly magazine is published by the National Space Society , a nonprofit, 501 aerospace advocacy and educational institution headquartered in Washington, D.C.....
magazine, membership brochures and the like are provided to chapters on an ad hoc
Ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....
basis, usually upon request via the chapters committee.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. 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
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
(in 1984) and Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
(in 1986).
As the NSS network in Australia developed and chapter membership numbers grew, the need became apparent for a greater national structure to be developed to coordinate the many activities of the Society.
Following discussion with all chapters, it was decided in late 1989 to create the National Space Society of Australia (NSSA) which could act as an umbrella organization under which all chapters could operate, providing for them a single identity in which to be recognized by, and through which resources, finances and administration could be pooled for the better operation of all chapters. The change to NSSA, while linking to the parent organization, has helped to further strengthen NSSA's own independent, self-governed identity in Australia.
Similar efforts have taken hold in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, as well as European countries that have a strong aerospace presence. NSS chapters within the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
include France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Individuals interested in joining as an individual member or forming a chapter of like-minded peers within their own community can fill out a "Request to form an NSS chapter" form either in writing, by going on-line to the main website, or by personally calling the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
headquarters office for more information or assistance.
Awards
"Space Exploration Is Good For Everyone"
There is a great need today to convince the American public that boldly exploring and developing space is very important! The average American is focused on their wealth, health, and safety. They do not see the relevance of space. They have not forgotten space; they just do not see that going there is necessary - they see it as a luxury for better times. But space exploration today is improving the lives of ALL Americans! — Independent Charities of America website
The Independent Charities' Seal of Excellence is awarded to the members of Independent Charities of America and Local Independent Charities of America that have, upon rigorous independent review, been able to certify, document, and demonstrate on an annual basis that they meet the highest standards of public accountability, program effectiveness, and cost effectiveness. These standards include those required by the US Government for inclusion in the Combined Federal Campaign , probably the most exclusive fund drive in the world. According to Independent Charities, of the 1,000,000 charities operating in the United States today, it is estimated that fewer than 50,000, or 5 percent, meet or exceed these standards, and, of those, fewer than 2,000 have been awarded this Seal.
Additionally, NSS manages a number of awards via an awards committee. These are typically presented during the annual International Space Development Conference
International Space Development Conference
The International Space Development Conference is the annual conference of the National Space Society . Now in its 30th year, these conferences connect the general public and the NSS membership with leaders of contemporary space efforts...
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:
- The Robert A. Heinlein Memorial Award, given in even-numbered years (2004, 2006, etc.). The 2006 recipient was retired Air ForceAir forceAn air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
Brigadier GeneralBrigadier GeneralBrigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Charles E. "Chuck" YeagerChuck YeagerCharles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager is a retired major general in the United States Air Force and noted test pilot. He was the first pilot to travel faster than sound...
for his pioneering efforts in aeronautics with the Bell X-1Bell X-1The Bell X-1, originally designated XS-1, was a joint NACA-U.S. Army/US Air Force supersonic research project built by Bell Aircraft. Conceived in 1944 and designed and built over 1945, it eventually reached nearly 1,000 mph in 1948...
rocket-powered flights of the late 1940s and early 1950s.
- The NSS Von Braun Award, given in odd-numbered years (2003, 2005, etc.). The 2005 recipient was Burt RutanBurt RutanElbert Leander "Burt" Rutan is an American aerospace engineer noted for his originality in designing light, strong, unusual-looking, energy-efficient aircraft...
in recognition for his achievements in the development of SpaceShipOne, winner of the $10 million Ansari X PrizeAnsari X PrizeThe Ansari X Prize was a space competition in which the X Prize Foundation offered a US$10,000,000 prize for the first non-government organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft into space twice within two weeks...
.
Other scholarships and award activities NSS provides or assists with include the following awards:
- The NSS-ISU scholarship, worth $12,000, to the International Space UniversityInternational Space UniversityThe International Space University is a private university founded in 1987. The University currently offers three degree granting programs — Master of Science in Space Management, Master of Science in Space Studies and Executive MBA — in addition to a non-degree-granting Space Studies Program.The...
. 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 FoundationSpace Frontier FoundationThe Space Frontier Foundation is a space advocacy nonprofit corporation organized to promote the interests of increased involvement of the private sector, in collaboration with government, in the exploration and development of space...
which is partly sponsored by NSS.
NSS releases "To Touch the Stars" CD
"To Touch The Stars: A Musical celebration of Space Exploration" was a joint project of the NSS, the Mars Society
Mars Society
The Mars Society is an international space advocacy non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the human exploration and settlement of the planet Mars. It was founded by Robert Zubrin and others in 1998 and attracted the support of notable science fiction writers and filmmakers, including Kim...
and Seattle-based music publisher Prometheus Music. Six years in the making, the 17 tracks span a stylistic range including folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, majestic ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s and ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
.
The top entrants of the NSS Apollo Awards for Space Songwriting are also featured on the CD, and various selections have been turned into fan-based music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s currently posted on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
and other video sharing
Video sharing
Video hosting services refers to websites or software where users can distribute their video clips. Other sites such as file hosting services image hosting services and social network services might support video sharing as an enhancement to their primary mission, but in general, they are not...
websites:
- Witnesses’ Waltz (Kristoph Klover)
- Fire in the Sky (Kristoph Klover)
- Now's the Time (for Us) to touch a Star (Karl Franzen)
- Hope Eyrie (Version 1) (Julia EcklarJulia EcklarJulia Ecklar is a John W. Campbell Award–winning science fiction author and a singer and writer of filk music who recorded numerous albums in the Off Centaur label in the early 1980s, including Minus Ten and Counting, Horse-Tamer's Daughter, and Genesis...
) - Hope Eyrie (Version 2) (Julia Ecklar)
- Surprise! (Gunnar Madsen)
- If We Had No Moon (Christine LavinChristine LavinChristine Lavin is a New York City-based singer-songwriter and promoter of contemporary folk music. She has recorded numerous solo albums, and has also recorded with other female folk artists under the name Four Bitchin' Babes...
)
In celebration of the successful arrival of the Phoenix Mars Lander on Mars, "To Touch the Stars" has been made available for free listening in CD-quality streaming audio. Teachers and space educators may also contact the publisher for a free digital download of the album.
Affiliations
The National Space Society is an alliance organization of the Meade 4M Community and the Coalition for Space Exploration in support of the educational initiatives and outreach of NSS.See also
- Space advocacySpace advocacySpace advocacy can be described as the general position supporting, pleading or arguing for the idea or cause of space exploration and settlements...
- Space colonizationSpace colonizationSpace colonization is the concept of permanent human habitation outside of Earth. Although hypothetical at the present time, there are many proposals and speculations about the first space colony...
- Space explorationSpace explorationSpace exploration is the use of space technology to explore outer space. Physical exploration of space is conducted both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft....
- Vision for Space ExplorationVision for Space ExplorationThe Vision for Space Exploration is the United States space policy which was announced on January 14, 2004 by President George W. Bush. It is seen as a response to the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, the state of human spaceflight at NASA, and a way to regain public enthusiasm for space...
External links
- National Space Society official website
- Ad Astra online edition
- National Space Society Chapters Network Resources for NSS chapters, members and space activists.
- "LIVE" Streaming video broadcast from ISDC 2007 in Dallas, TX
- The National Space Society Page on the Meade 4M Community website
- Archive of previous International Space Development Conferences
- Electro-Magnetic Development of Space (in Russian)
- Electro-Magnetic Development of Space PowerPoint Presentation, San Marino, Apr 2010.