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.
Category: Nonfiction Reviewed by: Douglas G. Adler Title: Beyond Earth, the Soviet Drive into Space: Decoding Their Satellite and Launch Efforts, 1957-1975: A Very Personal...
This Space Available By Emily Carney “You know who I am,” he said The speaker was an angel He coughed and shook his crumpled wings...
A newly published book reclaims the three Apollo 1 astronauts from tragedy. The following article addresses the Apollo 1 fire and the loss of its...
Category: Nonfiction Review of Chapter “Putting Space to Work” by Dale Skran Title: 2025: Scenarios of US and Global Society Reshaped by Science and Technology...
Category: Nonfiction Reviewed by: Douglas G. Adler Title: Ascension: Life Lessons from the Space Shuttle Columbia Tragedy for Engineers, Managers, and Leaders Author: Steven Hirshorn...
Category: Non-Fiction Reviewed by: John Vester Title: The Pale Blue Data Point: An Earth-Based Perspective on the Search for Alien Life Author: Jon Willis Format:...
Category: Nonfiction Reviewed by: Loretta Hall Title: On a Mission: The Smithsonian History of US Women Astronauts Author: Valerie Neal Format: Hardcover/Kindle Pages: 360 pages...
Category: Nonfiction Reviewed by: Casey Suire Title: Born to Explore: John Casani’s Grand Tour of the Solar System Author: Jay Gallentine Format: Hardcover/Kindle Pages: 400...
Category: Nonfiction? Reviewed by: Dale Skran Title: Space Forces: A Critical History of Life in Outer Space Author: Fred Scharmen Format: Hardcover/Kindle Pages: 272 Publisher:...
Category: Nonfiction Reviewed by: John Vester Title: Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon, the Untold Story Author: Jeffrey Kluger Format: Hardcover/Kindle Pages: 304 Publisher: St....
Category: NonfictionReviewed by: Casey Suire Title: The Launch of Rocket LabAuthor: Peter Griffin, with introduction by Sir Peter Beck Format: Hardcover/Kindle Pages: 300 Publisher: Blackwell...
Category: Nonfiction Reviewed by: Susan Raizer Title: Mission: An American Congressman’s Voyage to Space Author: Bill Nelson Format: Paperback/Kindle Pages: 317 Publisher: University of Florida...
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...
