National Space Society. 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 public (e.g., NASA, Russian Federal Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and private sector (e.g., SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, etc.) organizations.

The major goals of the National Space Society are:

Defending Earth: Protecting humanity from dangerous space objects (asteroid impact avoidance).
Clean Energy from Space: Enabling everyone to benefit from space solar power.
Developing Space: Making the vast resources of space available to all.
Space Settlement: Moving civilization into space and making us an interplanetary species.

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 Wernher von Braun, and the L5 Society, founded in 1975 based on the concepts of Gerard K. O'Neill.

The society has an elected volunteer Board of Directors and a Board of Governors. The Board of Directors provides day-to-day operational oversight for the organization, and the Board of Governors provide strategic oversight and advisory to the Directors in the form of recommendations and guidance with respect to the broad strategies, overall policies, objectives, and goals of the Society. The Chairman of the Board of Governors is Karlton Johnson, USAF-Retired.  In this capacity, he provides overall senior executive leadership to enhance the effectiveness and performance of the Board of Governors in support of the Society's goals, imparts advice and guidance to the Board of Directors to enhance its conduct of business operations, and serves as the primary spokesperson for the Board of Governors. The Chairman of the Board of Directors is Kirby Ikin. 

Karlton Johnson is currently the organization's Chief Executive Officer.   

Serving the space community for nearly 50 years in its various forms, the National Space Society has remained a conduit for education, substantive dialogue, and impact player in the commercial and private space sector communities. The organization garnered 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.

In 2023, the National Space Society elected Isaac Arthur as President for a two-year term.

Ad Astra
The Society publishes a magazine , 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

As listed in each quarterly issue of , 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.

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. These include 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:

2024 – William Shatner
2022 – Lori Garver
2018 – Freeman Dyson
2016 – Jerry Pournelle
2014 – Elon Musk
2012 – Stephen Hawking
2010 – Peter Diamandis
2008 – Burt Rutan
2006 – Brigadier General Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager
2004 – James Lovell
2002 – Robert Zubrin
2000 – Neil Armstrong
1998 – Carl Sagan
1996 – Buzz Aldrin
1994 – Robert H. Goddard
1992 – Gene Roddenberry
1990 – Wernher von Braun
1988 – Arthur C. Clarke
1986 – 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:
2023 – James Webb Space Telescope Team
2021 – Gwynn Shotwell
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

Space Pioneer Awards

Space Pioneer Awards or NSS Space Pioneer Awards are the annual awards given by National Space Society, an independent non-profit educational membership organisation, to individuals and teams who have opened the space frontier.

Space Pioneer Award Winners:
 2024 — Rod Pyle, Brian McManus, José Hernández
 2023 — Jared Isaacman, Dr. Pascal Lee, Dr. David Livingston
 2022 — Peter Beck, Rocket Lab, Kathryn Lueders, Ingenuity Mars Helocopter Team
 2021 — Dr. Robert D. Braun, Robert Manning
 2020 - Isaac Arthur, Steve Jurvetson, Dr. Peggy Whitson, Mission Juno Team, Dr. Scott J. Bolton, Dr. Phil Plait

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

The NSS-ISU scholarship, worth $10,000, to the International Space University was offered from 2005–2008. The 2005 recipient was Robert Guinness of St. Louis.
The Gerard K. O'Neill Space Settlement Contest, an annual competition for students in grades 6 to 12 to design and present a permanent space settlement in the form of a research paper, essay, or artwork;

Affiliations
The National Space Society is a founding executive member of the Alliance for Space Development.

See also

L5 Society
Space advocacy
Space colonization
Space exploration
Vision for Space Exploration
Space Kingdom of Asgardia

References

"National Space Society 'blitzes' Congress on NASA budget" Space.com – Mar. 5, 2007
"National Space Society to Host 26th Annual Conference in Dallas, Convening Pioneers from Government and Private Space Programs" SpaceRef.com – Feb. 21, 2007
GuideStar – National Space Society Information on NSS listed in GuideStar, a national database of nonprofit organizations

External links
 
 Ad Astra ("To the Stars') The magazine of the National Space Society
 Island One Society, ISDC conferences archive

Space organizations
Space advocacy organizations
International scientific organizations
Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.
Scientific societies based in the United States
501(c)(3) organizations
1987 in science
Organizations established in 1987
1987 establishments in Washington, D.C.