About NSS

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The Vision of NSS 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 National Space Society (NSS) is an independent, educational, grassroots, nonprofit organization dedicated to the creation of a spacefaring civilization. The mission of the society is to promote social, economic, technological, and political change to expand civilization beyond Earth, to settle space and to use the resulting resources to build a hopeful and prosperous future for humanity.

With more than 30,000 member-subscribers and a vibrant network of local chapters, the society is united by a passion for space development and exploration, as well as a desire to improve the condition of humanity through space.

The society held the first International Space Development Conference in 1981. Over the course of the following 40 years, the conference has expanded to become the most important citizen conference for space in the world.

NSS was born from the merger of two space organizations: the National Space Institute, established by Dr. Wernher von Braun, James Fletcher, and Hugh Downs; and the L5 Society, based on the space settlement concepts of Gerald K. O’Neill. These groups came together to create a society of optimists, people who believe that space can help bring about a better future for humanity. Many current leaders of NASA, entrepreneurial space companies and the astronaut corps are longtime members of NSS.

NSS pursues a variety of educational, legislative, and technical projects to advance its mission:

  • The society is the publisher of Ad Astra magazine, an award-winning periodical chronicling the most important developments in space.
  • The society’s telescope outreach programs have reached hundreds of schools, and our local chapters have brought the inspiration of space to thousands of students.
  • The society’s technical projects range from space settlement challenges to suborbital rockets. Local chapters such as the HAL-5 Society have made pioneering advances in the use of hybrid fuel systems.
  • The society’s legislative campaigns are well known as being among the most powerful grassroots efforts for space on Capitol Hill.
  • The society has continued its commitment to education through sponsoring student competitions. Examples include the NSS Space Settlement Contest; the winners are featured at ISDC. In addition, the Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Awards challenge high school students to design products using science and technology.
  • We at the National Space Society work to inspire the next generation of space leaders and believe space holds the key to the future of life on Earth. NSS educational activities include engaging teachers, students, and community in learning programs and providing educational opportunities that improve the quality of space-related education and themes. Our educational competitions, lessons, activities, and programs span grades K-12, university, and post-doctoral age levels as we strive to provide educational opportunities to advance the careers of space-interested students from around the world.

If you are not yet a member, we encourage you to join today! NSS members are artists, entrepreneurs, writers, teachers, engineers, students, scientists, astronauts, pilots, musicians – and anything else you can imagine. Join us, and help put people in space to live, to work, and to stay!

For more information about the NSS go to space.NSS.org

The National Space Society (NSS) is an independent, educational, grassroots, nonprofit organization dedicated to the creation of a spacefaring civilization. For U.S. tax purposes, NSS is a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) educational, nonprofit corporation.

All donations to NSS are fully tax deductible (as allowed by your local laws).