The National Space Society’s Martine Rothblatt Space Settlement in Our Lifetime Prize Business Plan Competition is still accepting submissions for its 2025 cash awards. This competition grants cash awards of $16,000, $10,000, and $6,000 USD for first, second, and third place for the top three best space settlement-related business plans received that reflect Dr. Rothblatt’s vision for space settlement. Past winners have gone on to run successful space-related business and have even launched payloads to the Moon. The competition will accept submissions until midnight Pacific Time, March 1, 2025, and winners will be announced at the National Space Society’s International Space Development Conference^® (ISDC^®) in June. For more information, see the competition website.

Dr. Rothblatt has been a pioneer in satellite communications, founding the Sirius XM radio network in 1990, and later became the chair and CEO of United Therapeutics, a biotechnology company devoted to prolonging human life. Dr. Rothblatt’s trailblazing work in organ replacement has saved countless lives and will be a key technology in creating sustainable communities in space. You can learn more about the competition, and Dr. Rothblatt’s vision—a key ingredient of a winning entry—at spacebizplan.nss.org.

“Dr. Rothblatt’s views of the future of space settlement represent a grand vision for the human expansion into space—to live and prosper—over the next century,” said NSS President Isaac Arthur. “This vision includes mass migration of human beings to space habitats, and we at the NSS hope that the Space Settlement in our Lifetime Business Plan Competition continues to propel advanced thinking about settling the final frontier.”

This competition is not for merely an idea or a proposal, but for a complete preliminary business plan that outlines your vision and demonstrates its potential as a prosperous business endeavor that takes place in, utilizes, or leverages some aspect of cislunar space. To learn more about the parameters of a good space business plan, and better understand Dr. Rothblatt’s vision, visit the competition website.

The competition is open to anyone, of any age, anywhere on Earth (local laws and restrictions may apply). Entered business plans will be adjudicated by senior National Space Society leaders with three finalists to be announced prior to the ISDC conference.