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.
Opinion By Burt Dicht NSS Space Coast Correspondent On April 19, I was at Jetty Park in Cape Canaveral and watched Blue Origin’s New Glenn...
From flags and footprints to foundations, NASA’s Moon Base is our Space Station moment: A report on the May 26 NASA press conference By Burt...
By Burt Dicht NSS Managing Director of Membership Image: Starship V3 liftoff captured by space photographer Richard Gallagher (rpg-photography.com) Yesterday evening, May 22, at 6:30...
The National Space Society invites you to the next Space Forum Thursday, May 21, 2026, 8:00 pm to 9:15 pm EST NOTE NEW TIME! Return...
By Burt Dicht, NSS Managing Director of Membership with Dale Skran, NSS COO Image: Aerial view of Starship launch rehearsal (courtesy SpaceX) For the past...
The 44th Annual International Space Development Conference is in McLean, VA, June 4-7, 2026 The National Space Society is pleased to announce a keynote presentation...
By Burt Dicht NSS Space Coast Correspondent America’s human spaceflight program began 65 years ago today. On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard made history as...
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.
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...
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...
