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.
By Dale Skran Given how generally terrible 2020 has been for most of us suffering under the yoke of the pandemic, it seems impolite to...
Opinion by Dale Skran A big thanks to John Mankins for some key ideas and examples. Note that one section as noted was updated a...
High-Altitude Test Flight is a Huge Step Toward National Space Society Goals of Space Settlement On December 9, at 5:45 p.m. EST, SpaceX’s Starship was...
Dual book review by Mark Lardas Title: Space Is Open for Business: The Industry That Can Transform Humanity Author: Robert C. Jacobson NSS Amazon link...
By Dale Skran With a multitude of records surrounding this flight, the most important aspect is certainly the main cargo—Nanorack’s Bishop airlock. This airlock was...
NSS Mourns the Loss of a Visionary NSS Leader Dr. Ben Bova, a prolific and visionary author of science fiction, President Emeritus and Governor of...
By Dale Skran SpaceX continued to push the envelope of reusability with a November 24, 2020 launch of the 16th Starlink mission, bringing the total...
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.
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.
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.
Back in 1966, Luna 9 became the first spacecraft to soft-land on the Moon. Apogee Books has provided an English-language NASA translation of a detailed report originally released by the USSR Academy of Sciences.
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,...
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...
