National Space Society

March 2019

Welcome to the NSS blog. Feel free to comment on any post (comments are moderated so won’t show up immediately). Contributors to the NSS Blog are unpaid volunteers. Unless specifically labeled an NSS position or press release, all blog posts represent the views of the author and not of NSS, even if written by an NSS officer.

Don't Miss a Beat!

Be the first to know when new articles are posted!

The National Space Society supports the administration’s efforts to accelerate the timetable for getting U.S. personnel on the Moon permanently. Chair of the NSS Executive...

The National Space Society today announced that their Board of Directors has elected Karlton Johnson (Colonel – United States Air Force, Retired) as the Chairman...

Miles O’Brien has kept space in the forefront for millions of people by reporting for many years with CNN, PBS and his own company. To...

Below is a trailer and a list of special showings of the new film Chesley Bonestell: A Brush with the Future, the first-ever documentary about...

Author Kim Stanley Robinson writes of turmoil, strife, political revolution and poetry on a Moon mostly settled by China. A sensory novel delivering the experience...
Astronaut Eileen Collins has two major space firsts, the first woman to be a space shuttle pilot and the first to be a space shuttle...
The last six months have brought us two major movies about Apollo 11, and some of its figures: First Man (released October 2018), and Apollo...

The National Space Society (NSS) is pleased to announce the election of Geoffrey Notkin as NSS President. We interview Geoffrey below. INTRODUCTION Probably best known...

By George Mancuso After five days in orbit Crew Dragon Demo-1 undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) and completed a picture-perfect landing with splashdown...

The documentary Searching For Skylab, released on Vimeo on March 5th, is a treasure trove of as-yet-unseen archival footage of the much-underrated early 1970s U.S....

By Dale Skran, NSS Executive Vice President With today’s complete success of the Demonstration Mission-1 uncrewed test of the Dragon 2 crew capsule, it seemed...

The NSS Tucson Chapter (the Tucson L5 Space Society) for the sixth year in a row had a booth at the Tucson Festival of Books...

Categories
future 1

Don't Miss a Beat!

Be the first to know when new articles are posted!

Follow Us On Social Media

JOIN THE
GREATEST ADVENTURE

Give The Gift Of Space: Membership For Friends and Family

Book Reviews

Lunacy

Lunacy: A Book Review Essay

This long essay defends the NSS Vision against those who, like the author of the book being reviewed, think “we shouldn’t colonize Mars or the Moon, or even vacation there.” Ben Bramble, an Australian philosopher who teaches at Australian National University, has penned a YAASS (Yet Another Anti-Space-Settlement) book. These books are multiplying like flies, so space settlement advocates must be gaining ground to generate such an abundant response.

Read More »
HOTOLSkylon

Book Review: HOTOL & Skylon: The Story of Britain’s Spaceplanes

In HOTOL & Skylon: The Story of Britain’s Spaceplanes, Rob Coppinger covers the story of both in great detail, with the reminiscences of many who played integral roles in these ambitious programs. The book shines when it captures the enthusiasm and excitement of those involved, and there are extensive quotes from many who devoted years of work on these projects.

Read More »
Out of This World

Book Review: Out of This World

Anyone seeking a short but comprehensive introduction to human spaceflight would do well to start with this book. It reviews its history, highlights the accomplishments and tragedies, and describes the equipment used. It also looks at living in space, what space travelers experience, and how they work.

Read More »
Archives
Popular

BOOK REVIEWS

Recent Blog Posts

The National Space Society has just released a Position Paper on Selected Space Environmental Sustainability Issues. Below is the Conclusion section. The full paper can...

What do National Space Society members think about the future of space and how should their views help shape the priorities of NSS? Join us...

By Robin Scott NSS Chapter Middle Tennessee Space Society (MTSS) President Chuck Schlemm performs outreach, directly contacting about 560 attendees (STEM teachers, school faculty, students,...

The future depends on leaders who can collaborate across disciplines, communicate effectively, and bring diverse teams together to solve complex challenges. The National Space Society...

By Burt Dicht NSS Space Coast Correspondent Some weeks in spaceflight are just busy. This one was something more. Over a period of four days,...

By Burt Dicht NSS Space Coast Correspondent A large anvil cloud hanging over Florida’s Space Coast added some uncertainty to the final hours of the...

Applications open 1 Oct – 1 Dec, 2026 The National Space Society’s Global Space Debates is a unique, 100% virtual program that brings high school...

This long essay defends the NSS Vision against those who, like the author of the book being reviewed, think "we shouldn’t colonize Mars or the...
adastra magazine

Your Doorway to New Worlds