National Space Society

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National Space Society logo

The National Space Society (NSS) is an international nonprofit 501(c)(3), educational, and scientific organization specializing in space advocacy.

"The National Space Society's vision is people living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth. NSS members promote change in social, technical, economic, and political conditions to advance the day when people will live and work in space." --National Space Society Vision Statement

The society supports manned space missions as well as unmanned space missions, which are remotely-controlled or robotic 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 8, 1986, from the merger of 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 Board of Governors and Board of Directors 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 Sir Arthur C. Clarke, C.J. Cherryh and Ben Bova, actors and entertainers Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Lance Bass, Majel Barrett Roddenberry, Nichelle Nichols and Bruce Boxleitner, scientists Dr. James Van Allen, Dr. Alan Binder, Dr. K. Eric Drexler, Dr. David Criswell and Dr. Michael DeBakey, news anchor Hugh Downs, Maria von Braun and many others.

The society also hosts the annual International Space Development Conference (ISDC), held in major cities and venues, as well as smaller regional conferences.

The Society's award-winning magazine Ad Astra (ISSN 1041-102X) is published quarterly ("ad astra" is Latin for "to the stars").

Awards

Five-Star “Best in America” Certified by the [Independent Charities of America] - 2005

See also

• Space advocacy
• Space colonization
• Space exploration
• Vision for Space Exploration

External links

• [National Space Society] Official web site.
• [Ad Astra Online] Online edition of magazine
• [National Space Society Chapters Network] Resources for NSS chapters, members and space activists.
• [About the NSS]
• [NSS Worldwide]
• [NSS History - The 70's]
• [NSS History - The 80's]
• [NSS History - The 90's]
• [NSS History - The Present]

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