Streaming June 24-27, 2021, National Space Society's International Space Development Conference. This year's event will be streaming across social media, including right here, and also on e360tv and their apps on Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, and IOS/Android. The four-day virtual conference will focus on key areas of space development: space settlement, space policy, space solar power, Moon, and international space programs. NASA is planning to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon within the next decade and then continue onward to Mars. ISDC 2021 will highlight the public and private efforts to push the boundaries of space exploration—back to the Moon, then to Mars. Please join us Thursday-Sunday, June 24-27, 2021 for ISDC 2021. This exciting, four-day virtual event looks at the future of space settlement and exploration. And best of all, the first three days of ISDC 2021 (Thursday – Saturday, June 24-26) are entirely FREE (and no registration is needed)! The free day sessions begin at 9:00 AM PDT, and a special paid session on Sunday, June 27 runs from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM PDT. For the free event full schedule, visit https://isdc2021.nss.org/home/schedule/schedule-at-a-glance/ For information about the Sunday special session go to: https://space.nss.org/isdc-sunday/

Streaming June 24-27, 2021, National Space Society's International Space Development Conference. This year's event will be streaming across social media, including right here, and also on e360tv and their apps on Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, and IOS/Android. The four-day virtual conference will focus on key areas of space development: space settlement, space policy, space solar power, Moon, and international space programs. NASA is planning to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon within the next decade and then continue onward to Mars. ISDC 2021 will highlight the public and private efforts to push the boundaries of space exploration—back to the Moon, then to Mars. Please join us Thursday-Sunday, June 24-27, 2021 for ISDC 2021. This exciting, four-day virtual event looks at the future of space settlement and exploration. And best of all, the first three days of ISDC 2021 (Thursday – Saturday, June 24-26) are entirely FREE (and no registration is needed)! The free day sessions begin at 9:00 AM PDT, and a special paid session on Sunday, June 27 runs from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM PDT. For the free event full schedule, visit https://isdc2021.nss.org/home/schedule/schedule-at-a-glance/ For information about the Sunday special session go to: https://space.nss.org/isdc-sunday/

NSS Space Forum for June 3, 2021 What impelled a mid-career Princeton physicist to propose that perhaps civilization could better be served in a space settlement? Why did this idea capture the minds of thousands from the 1970s to the present time? In this informative space forum, Emily Carney discussed Dr. Gerard K. O’Neill’s early career, interest in spaceflight and ultimately space settlements, and how his vision inspired one of the biggest grassroots movements in the space community. Emily also touched on O’Neill’s career as a satellite entrepreneur and his work as a writer. Also be sure to read Emily’s article “Gerard K. O’Neill: A Heroic Life” in the latest issue of Ad Astra magazine. Emily Carney is a spaceflight enthusiast and author hailing from Saint Petersburg, Florida. Her first vivid space memory was seeing Columbia launch in late 1981 (STS-2). Even though she was very young (three years old) and the launch was 140 miles away from where she stood, she’ll never forget it. From then on, she was obsessed with the space shuttle, and spaceflight in general. In 1997, Carney enlisted in the United States Navy, and at one point worked as a nuclear propulsion mechanical operator aboard the USS George Washington (CVN 73). When she was honorably discharged in 2003, she went back to college and earned a degree in education. She only taught for a brief time, but after she left the education field, her passion for spaceflight was reignited. Carney worked as a freelance writer from 2008 to 2011, and during that time she started a spaceflight blog, This Space Available (accessible via https://space.nss.org/category/this-space-available/). She also co-hosts a weekly podcast, Space and Things, with Dave Giles (https://spaceandthingspodcast.com/). In 2011, Carney wanted to start a Facebook group for space enthusiasts, but was struggling to find a good name. Her husband, Steve, suggested “Space Hipsters” as sort of a sarcastic placeholder, but the name stuck. The group grew more quickly than she could imagine, and at present time it totals over 20,500 members. Space Hipsters boasts members from all around the world, and includes space enthusiasts, writers, artists, scientists, engineers, aspiring astronauts, and even a few actual astronauts.

In 2021, the National Space Society nominated SpaceX for the 2020 Collier Trophy based on the achievements of the Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft.

May 20, 2021: Space Elevators have been a long-discussed technology designed to take massive payloads to space in a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly way. The practical aspects of this technology are still being debated, but recent advances have helped boost the concept of “A Modern Day Space Elevator – 2021.” This term surfaced as we have matured through the eight Space Elevator architectures described by David Raitt in his Quest Magazine article (2021). As the name implies, the Modern Day Space Elevator - 2021 has evolved from a dream to a scientific reality that we are moving into the second phase of development (Engineering Development). This change in maturity occurred as the limiting factor of the past has been overcome. The latest information on tether material is that Single Crystal Graphene (SCG), a new material with 2D characteristics that has been shown to be strong enough and can be manufactured long enough. SCG is in the early phase of segment development; but, it is very promising. Mr. Adrian Nixon, an ISEC Board member and a major player in the development of 2D materials, believes the material will “be ready in time for space elevator development.” A key driver for Dr. Swan's interest in space elevators is his dream to enable the visions of Peter Glaser (space-based solar power) and Gerard O'Neill (cislunar space settlements) and further the NSS Vision of “People living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth, and the use of the vast resources of space for the dramatic betterment of humanity.” Dr. Swan explored these topics, discussed the latest advances in space elevator technology and gave us a hint of what will come next. To view a series of videos on Modern Day Space Elevators developed by the ISEC team, go to https://www.isec.org/ Also be sure to read Dr. Swan’s article (co-authored by Cathy Swan) “Geo, Moon, or Mars? A New Architecture for Space Elevators” in the latest issue of Ad Astra magazine. Peter Swan is President of the International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC) and team lead for developing the space elevators. Peter is a member of the International Academy of Astronautics and Fellow of AIAA and the British Interplanetary Society. He graduated from the USMA, 1968, and served 20 years in the Air Force. His Ph.D. was in spacecraft systems from UCLA. He joined the Iridium satellite program leading to 92 satellites in orbit. He then joined Teaching Science and Technology, Inc. teaching space systems engineering. He continues to teach at Arizona State University for their OLLI classes. His latest books include Road to the Space Elevator Era [2019], Space Elevators are the Green Road to Space [2021], and Space Elevators are the Transportation Story of the 21st Century [2020].

On 4/29/21 the Space Launch System Core Stage 1 for the Artemis I mission was offloaded from the Pegasus barge at Kennedy Space Center, having previously arrived at the space center on 4/27/21 after completion of the Green Run hot fire at Stennis Space Center. NSS was invited out along with other media to witness this historic event as a moon rocket made its way to the Vehicle Assembly Building for the first time in almost 50 years. The core stage will undergo refurbishment in the transfer aisle of the VAB before it is lifted into high bay three and mated with the five segment solid rocket boosters. Song: Olympus by Ross Bugden https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnmglWHoVrk&ab_channel=RossBugden

Space Forum broadcast May 6, 2021Fifty plus years ago, a young technical workforce both at NASA and from industry pushed the boundaries of technology to put American astronauts on the Moon. Today’s aerospace workforce is just as talented as the Apollo Generation, but it looks a lot different, reflecting and embracing the diversity of our nation. NSS Board of Directors Member, Chantelle Baier, hosted a panel of these early-career aerospace professionals. The panelists, Athena Brensberger, Lindani Johnson, Kaela Martin, Hannah Rens, and Betsy Soukup spoke about what got them interested in aerospace, the challenges they overcame, their current projects, and how they are working to inspire the next generation. Biographies: Chantelle Baier currently serves as a member of the NSS Board of Directors and is also the Director of Creative Services. Chantelle is a dynamic new leader in space development, and she is bringing new ideas and innovative concepts to foster the NSS mission. For Chantelle, the key is dramatically changing the definition and view of public-private partnerships in all aspects of space ecosystems. As a result, Chantelle has been involved with innovating new STEAM based educational programs for our next generation, creating economic dialogue between space travelers and entrepreneurs. This led to the creation of the Space to be Me event in partnership with Proctor and Gamble and GE Aviation. In fostering these types of partnerships, Chantelle is furthering the NSS mission of creating a spacefaring civilization. Athena Brensberger advocates for space exploration through her platform Astroathens. People can find DIY space demos, rocket launch coverage, and going behind the scenes at events around the world! She’s worked with NASA, Seeker, Futurism, ArianeGroup, and Dexter as a correspondent on all things astronomy and rocket science. With a background in astrophysics and fashion, Athena’s mission is to show that space is within all of us, no matter what industry you are in. Her research includes work on Proto-planetary disks and low mass stars. After giving her first talk on stage, she fell in love with presenting science rather than only conducting it. Lindani Johnson is the sitting Chief Engineer of the Aerospace Special Interest Group of the NSBE. She specializes in defense and commercial aerospace system safety and reliability engineering. Currently, Lindani serves as the Aircraft Segment System Safety Team Lead at Wisk Aero, a start-up in the Bay Area. Lindani has worked with teams at Northrop Grumman, United Airlines, NASA and more. Lindani received a B.A. from Oberlin College and a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology. Kaela Martin began her academic journey at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona, after receiving her PhD from Purdue University in Aerospace Engineering. Besides her work in astrodynamics, she is passionate about implementing new pedagogical techniques in her classes including flipped learning, team-based learning, inquiry learning, and experiential learning. She is perpetually improving her teaching and enthusiastically shares what she has learned with others. In her spare time, Kaela enjoys spending time outside whether it’s biking, hiking, or rock climbing. Hannah Rens is an aerospace engineer and space settlement advocate. Hannah is currently serving as the Region 3 Representative for the NSS Board of Directors and is a member of the Space Settlement Advocacy Committee, where she has authored a literature review analyzing the scientific feasibility of space settlement. Hannah is currently working as a project engineer within Boeing Defense, Space, and Security. Additionally, she has worked on an Economic Research for Space Development grant from NASA’s Emerging Space Office and the AIAA Space Systems Design Competition. Hannah graduated with a BS in Aerospace Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin in May of 2020. Since 2012, she has been a part of the International Space Settlement Design Competition family of events as a student and volunteer. She has been directly involved with the NSS since 2018, when she presented at ISDC. Betsy Soukup is an engineer who learned how to drive competitive robots before she learned how to drive a car. Her love of all things technical started in high school, where she joined her school’s F.I.R.S.T. robotics team, ultimately leading them to a state championship her senior year. From there she studied mechanical engineering at MIT, and after getting her bachelor’s degree, moved to Stanford to get her masters in mechatronics. Betsy has held various positions at SpaceX including manufacturing engineering, reuse engineering, and structural engineering. Her favorite thing about her job is getting to work with smart, passionate people who are willing to work hard.

On April 22, 2021, NSS President Michelle Hanlon hosted a panel of young lawyers discussing how to fill the gaps in international space law to support the development of sustainable and successful human communities in space. Today, as we lay the foundation for our evolution into a multiplanetary species, it is more important than ever to assure the proper balance between regulation and development. Hanlon, who is a professor of space law at the University of Mississippi School of Law, began with a brief introduction to space law. The panelists, Laura Brady, Bailey Cunningham, AJ Link, Christiana Paissios and Sam Thorpe shared their thoughts on how to address issues of space debris, heritage protection, human rights, commercial activity and the delimitation of space within the current legal and policy framework. Michelle Hanlon, elected NSS President for 2021 to 2023, was Chair of the NSS International Committee and a member of the NSS Policy Committee. Michelle is a Co-Director of the Center for Air and Space Law and an instructor of aviation and space law at the University of Mississippi School of Law. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Space Law, the oldest Journal in the world devoted to analyzing the legal problems arising out of human activities in space. Laura Brady is a third-year law student at the University of Mississippi School of Law where she is part of the Space Law Concentration Program. She worked as a legal fellow for the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee and is currently a legal intern for NASA Kennedy Space Center. Laura served as the philanthropy chairperson and currently serves as the secretary for the Ole Miss Air and Space Law Society. She has worked as a student editor for the Journal of Space Law and is active in Phi Alpha Delta. She also coaches high school cross country and track. Laura considers herself an avid runner and a space enthusiast. Bailey Cunningham is a third-year law student at Florida State University. Prior to law school, Bailey attended the University of South Florida for her undergraduate degree, where she majored in Political Science and minored in both Astronomy and Intelligence Studies. At FSU Law, Bailey is an Executive Editor for Business Review, and the Vice President of Space for the Aviation and Space Law Society. Bailey is currently a legal intern at NASA Headquarters for the Office of the General Counsel in the International Law Practice Group. Additionally, Bailey volunteers with For All Moonkind and serves as the Space Law Project Manager. Through this organization, Bailey has presented at the United Nations Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space on the importance of preservation and sustainable practices in returning to the moon. Bailey also serves as the Vice-Chair for the NSS International Committee. AJ Link received his JD from The George Washington University Law School. His studies focused extensively on disability law, international human rights, and space law. AJ has been actively involved with disability advocacy in the Washington, DC area and nationally within the United States. While at GW, he chaired the Diversity and Inclusion Assembly for the Student Association and the Student Life Committee. He also founded the Atypical Student Society, a student organization for neurodiverse and disabled law students, at the law school and served as its inaugural president. AJ was the president of the GW Law Space Law Society and co-chaired the Student Affinity Group Enterprise. Christiana Paissios is a second-year law student at the University of Mississippi. She is a Greek-American from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and double-majored in Anthropology and Political Science from the University of California, Irvine. Christiana is interested in Drone and Air Law while working to complete the Business Law concentration. She is the President of the LatinX Law Student Association, Director of Student Affairs for the Graduate Student Council and a Staff Editor for the Journal of Space Law. Samuel Thorpe is a second-year law student at the University of Mississippi School of Law where he focuses his studies in Air and Space Law. Sam takes part in many extracurricular activities that focus on Air and Space Law. Recently Sam has become President of the Ole Miss Air and Space Law Society and a Senior Editor on the Journal of Space Law. Sam’s infatuation with space started as child when his parents would wake him up to watch shuttle launches from his front yard in Orlando, Florida. Sam rediscovered his love for space at the University of Central Florida in Professor Robert Bledsoe’s Space Law class. Sam hopes to publish his thoughts on the creation of space infrastructure, colonization, and mining before he graduates with his J.D. from the University of Mississippi.

On April 8, 2021, NSS conducted a space forum with Scott Pace, hosted by Greg Autry. As the Executive Secretary of the National Space Council, Scott Pace provided the day-to-day leadership and coordinated issues across the many departments and agencies that were involved in space to ensure the president’s agenda was enacted. With experience at NASA, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Dr. Pace has been involved in the decisions that have shaped the US space program. Along with his professional experience, Dr. Pace’s early membership in the L5 Society and the OASIS chapter of NSS in Los Angeles, plus chairing the NSS policy committee after the L5/NSI merger helped shape and inform his time on the National Space Council. Host Greg Autry, NSS Board of Directors, engaged in a dialog with Dr. Pace on a range of topics including his experiences on the Council, at NASA, space activism, the current state of the space program and his role as the Director of the Space Policy Institute. Scott Pace rejoined the faculty of the Elliott School of International Affairs in 2021 after serving as Deputy Assistant to the President and Executive Secretary of the National Space Council from 2017-2020. From 2005-2008 he served as the Associate Administrator for Program Analysis and Evaluation at NASA and Dep. Chief of Staff for the NASA Administrator from 2002-2003. Prior to NASA, he was the Assistant Director for Space and Aeronautics in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. From 1993-2000, he worked for the RAND Corporation's Science and Technology Policy Institute, and from 1990-1993, he served as the Deputy Director and Acting Director of the Office of Space Commerce, in the Office of the Deputy Secretary of the Dept. of Commerce. He received a B.S. degree in Physics from Harvey Mudd College in 1980; Masters degrees in Aeronautics & Astronautics and Technology & Policy from MIT in 1982; and a Ph.D. in Policy Analysis from the RAND Graduate School in 1989. Greg Autry, while serving on the NSS Board of Directors and as NSS Vice President of Space Development, was nominated by the White House to serve as Chief Financial Officer at NASA. Dr. Autry holds a BA in history from Cal Poly Pomona as well as an MBA and a Ph.D. (public policy and econ) from the Merage School of Business at UC Irvine. Dr. Autry is an educator, writer, technology entrepreneur, and an advocate for space settlement. As Clinical Professor of Space Leadership, Policy and Business at Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University, he researches and publishes on space commerce, entrepreneurship, innovation and policy. Dr. Autry writes and comments regularly on space topics. He served on the NASA Agency Review Team during the 2016 Presidential transition. Dr. Autry’s insights on space and other topics have been published in major news outlets including the San Francisco Chronicle, LA Times, and the Wall Street Journal.

On March 25, 2021, Dale Skran, NSS Senior Vice President and Senior Operating Officer, presented "NEW RIDES TO THE MOON: A review of current and upcoming vehicles that will carry humanity back to the Moon." We stand on the cusp of a new age of lunar exploration and development. But how will we fly back to the Moon? Dale's tech-heavy talk surveyed for a general audience the rockets most likely to take a new generation to the Moon. Space geek-on! Dale Skran worked 17 years with Bell Labs (AT&T, Lucent Technologies) and continued his career at several companies including Ascend Communications (VP of Enterprise Engineering), Sonus Networks (Director of Engineering), and CMWare (Founder, CEO, COO, and VP of Engineering). He was also a negotiator/ manager (Rapporteur) at the UN (International Telecommunication Union) where he led the development of international Internet standards for video conferencing and voice services (VoIP). Dale holds the following NSS leadership positions: • Senior Vice President/Senior Operating Officer • Co-Chair of the Bylaws Committee • Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee • At-large Board Member Some of the articles Dale has written for Ad Astra and other publications include: • “New Rides to the Moon,” Winter 2018 • “Out of the Ashes: SpaceX Rockets to a Record Year,” Winter 2018 • “Battle of the Colossi: Round Two – SLS vs Falcon Heavy vs New Glenn,” Spring 2018 • “How 2018 Became the first year of Space,” Winter 2019• “A Message from the Incoming Chair [of the Executive Committee],” Spring 2019 • “Space-Based Astronomy is our Future,” Winter 2020 • “Why SpaceX Has Not Won the Collier Trophy?”, Winter 2020 • “Why We are Non-Partisan,” Winter 2020 • “Commentary on the Planetary Society’s ‘Principles for Human Spaceflight,” The Space Review, September 24, 2018 (with co-authors) • “Humanity Can’t Afford to Keep Space Pristine,” Foreign Policy, October 30, 2019, co-authored with Greg Autry“ • “Space-based Astronomy is our future (op-ed),” space.com, March 14, 2020 • “Op-ed | H.R. 5666 will launch the U.S. in the wrong direction,” Space News, March 5, 2020 (with co-authors) Donate to NSS: https://inside.nss.org/page/donate

The National Space Society presents the case for space solar power, the future of clean, safe, limitless energy for everyone. Space solar power will harness the power of the sun in orbit and beam energy where it is most needed on Earth, eventually replacing fossil fuels and allowing our planet to once again become the pristine home we deserve. For more information and to donate to this cause: https://go.nss.org/ssp

The National Space Society presents the case for space solar power, the future of clean, safe, limitless energy for everyone. Space solar power will harness the power of the sun in orbit and beam energy where it is most needed on Earth, eventually replacing fossil fuels and allowing our planet to once again become the pristine home we deserve. For more information and to donate to this cause: https://go.nss.org/ssp

The National Space Society presents the case for space solar power, the future of clean, safe, limitless energy for everyone. Space solar power will harness the power of the sun in orbit and beam energy where it is most needed on Earth, eventually replacing fossil fuels and allowing our planet to once again become the pristine home we deserve. For more information and to donate to this cause: https://go.nss.org/ssp

On March 11, 2021, for the first time, NSS brought together the presidents of two prominent space advocacy organizations. Join us for a “Conversation with the Presidents” featuring Geoffrey Notkin, outgoing NSS President (2019-2021), Janet Ivey, President of Explore Mars and an NSS Board of Governors member, and Michelle Hanlon, incoming NSS President (2021-2023). This is a rare opportunity to engage in conversations with these senior leaders to hear about key issues facing space advocacy organizations and the challenges of advancing our space settlement mission. Moderated by Rod Pyle, Ad Astra magazine Editor-in-Chief and acclaimed space author, this promises to be an exciting, fun, and informative discussion. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from these accomplished and dynamic individuals who have devoted their time, energy, and expertise to make us a spacefaring civilization. Register today and use the link below to ask your questions. Geoffrey Notkin is a member of the NSS Board of Governors and was elected NSS President in 2019. Notkin is an author, world traveler, TEDx speaker, and CEO of Aerolite Meteorites, Inc. A television and film producer, his credits include the documentaries Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously and First to the Moon: The Story of Apollo 8. Notkin has published hundreds of articles on meteorite science, paleontology, astronomy, adventure travel, and the arts, with his work appearing in National Geographic, Smithsonian, Astronomy, and Sky & Telescope. He is the author of three books including the award-winning Meteorite Hunting: How To Find Treasure From Space. His spaceflight and tech column, “Throwing Pebbles at the Sky,” is exclusive to the National Space Society magazine, Ad Astra. He is a member of The Explorer’s Club, is on the Board of Governors of the National Space Society, and the Board of Directors of the Astrosociology Research Institute.Janet Ivey, President, of Explore Mars, Inc., and Creator and CEO of the award winning Janet’s Planet is committed to enriching the lives of children via education and live performances, TV, and online programming. With over 27 years in the children’s edutainment and space science outreach sector, Janet has captivated audiences with her work. She has received 12 Regional Emmys and five Gracie Awards for Janet’s Planet, her children’s series which is a dynamic and fast-paced series geared to 5-10 year olds and focuses on science, space, history and exploration. Janet is on the Board of Directors for Explore Mars, she is an active NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador and on the Board of Governors for the National Space Society. Janet’s mission is to enrich the lives of children via art and science, multi-media education and intelligent AWE (Art, Wonder, and Experiential) infused programming that focuses on space exploration.Michelle Hanlon, elected NSS President for 2021 to 2023, was Chair of the NSS International Committee and a member of the NSS Policy Committee. Michelle is a Co-Director of the Center for Air and Space Law and an instructor of aviation and space law at the University of Mississippi School of Law. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Space Law, the oldest Journal in the world devoted to analyzing the legal problems arising out of human activities in space. Michelle received her B.A. in Political Science from Yale College, her J.D. magna cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center, and her LL.M in Air and Space Law from McGill University. Prior to focusing on space law, Michelle was engaged in a private business law practice. Michelle is a Co-Founder and the President of For All Moonkind, Inc., a nonprofit corporation that is the only organization in the world focused on protecting human cultural heritage in outer space. Support the NSS mission at https://space.nss.org/donate/

SPACE SETTLEMENT PERSPECTIVES Featuring two presentations: GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION IN SPACE with Jim Crisafulli HOW TO DESIGN A MARTIAN CIVILIZATION OF ONE MILLION PEOPLE: EXPERIENCES FROM THE MARS CITY-STATE DESIGN COMPETITION with Jim Plaxco The Global Alliance for International Collaboration In Space (GALIX) is a multinational coalition to advance and diversify space innovation and collaboration for all humankind. Many space professionals now envision that space activities are destined to significantly multiply and diversify over the next few decades, and that this expansion will present many challenges for humankind. GALIX hopes to address these challenges in partnership with space professionals worldwide by both enabling more effective exchange of information among key space leaders and expanding international collaborative ventures. GALIX was established to enable all countries of the world — both developed and developing — to pursue and realize the benefits of space more effectively. In his presentation, Mr. Crisafulli will discuss GALIX’s goals and operational objectives, as well as the collaborative activities that are planned for promoting the development of new space technologies and systems that can benefit all of humankind. The Mars City-State Design Competition was an international contest held in 2020 to solicit designs for a Mars city-state of one million people. Competition guidelines called for the city-state to be self-supporting to the maximum extent possible to minimize the need for imports from Earth. In addition, the design teams had to account for the production of essential bulk materials and the downstream manufacturing processes that would convert those materials into usable goods with the objective being for the city-state to be able to produce all the food, clothing, shelter, power, machines, and consumer products that a population of one million would need. At the same time, the design teams had to identify those goods and services that could be exported back to Earth to cover the cost of imports. In his presentation, Mr. Plaxco will share his experiences from the competition, insights garnered on the challenges of settling Mars, and will provide a critique of the design submitted by his team.

The MissionThe first mission of the Alpha CubeSat heritage will set an operational precedent for nanosatellites through: technology demonstration, deep space communication, launch & deployment, maneuvering, and lunar orbit. Success will occur through a combination of competition and cooperation. The Alpha CubeSat Team is out to win the NASA Cube Quest Challenge. The Cube Quest Challenge, sponsored by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate Centennial Challenge Program, offers a total of $5 million to teams that meet the challenge objectives of designing, building, and delivering flight-qualified, small satellites capable of advanced operations near and beyond the moon. Alpha CubeSat will demonstrate innovative satellite instrumentation while following progressive, low-energy trajectories to reach a deep space altitude of 4 million km (about 10x farther than the moon!) before returning to the moon and establishing a strategic resonance orbit. Design freedom and launch options afford an intrepidity lacking in new satellite missions: the courage to prove never flown before instruments, demonstrate efficient experimental orbits, and develop new launch opportunities for future cubesats. Innovative trajectories and orbits will provide high definition access of the moon’s surface as well as backup communication provisions for independent space missions.

National Space Society Chapters Webinar: SpaceX, Blue Origin, Space Tourism Thursday, October 8, 2020 Panel Moderator: Jim Plaxco President, Chicago Society for Space Studies NSS Director of Information Systems Panelists: James Barnard President, Denver Space Society Bryce Meyer St. Louis Space Frontier NSS BoD Region IV AIAA Space Colonization Technical Committee Chair Seth Potter President, OASIS - Los Angeles Member, NSS Board of Advisors Chapter Advisor, Cape Town Space Society Clifford McMurray President, Oklahoma Space Alliance Former NSS Executive Vice-President and Policy Committee Chairman What impact will SpaceX and Blue Origin have on the space tourism industry? What is the state of the space tourism industry? To address the various issues associated with space tourism, the chapters of the National Space Society hosted the webinar" SpaceX, Blue Origin, Space Tourism" as a part of World Space Week. The webinar panel discussion featured leaders from five chapters of the National Space Society. The panel was moderated by Jim Plaxco, President of the Chicago Society for Space Studies.

National Space Society Space Forum: Factors Impacting the Sustainability of a Lunar Economy Thursday, October 1, 2020 with Guest Speaker James Plaxco President, Chicago Society for Space Studies NSS Director of Information Systems NSS Data Protection Officer How viable is the idea that lunar-based businesses will be able to turn a profit? How likely is it that lunar operations will produce goods for export to Earth markets? This space forum will explore the economic factors that will impact the viability of a CisLunar economy. Jim Plaxco is a digital artist, creative coder, public speaker, and web consultant. Prior to entering the field of digital art, Jim was an information technology professional and software engineer working for Fortune 100 companies, included AT&T and IBM. In March 2019 Jim became the National Space Society’s Director of Information Systems and in October 2019 became the NSS Data Protection Officer. Jim has been a space activist since the mid-80’s when he became a member of the National Space Institute, the predecessor of the National Space Society. Jim is a frequent speaker on space related issues and is an NSS Space Ambassador.

Featuring David Cheuvront Technology Consultant & Retired NASA Engineer Doug Plata Physician, Public Health Specialist & Founder, Space Development Network Robert Zubrin President of Pioneer Astronautics & President of the Mars Society Don't miss this informative discussion centered around what happens when we return to the Moon. The focus is not on how or when we return but what an outpost on the Moon might look like. Host Jeffrey Liss will engage our panel of experts on the following topics: 1. The in situ resources that could be available on the Moon to be used for the outpost and its occupants 2. The location that would prove to be the best choice for the first permanent outpost 3. The types of habitats that might be built for this first, expandable outpost 4. The equipment and materials that need to be brought from Earth to the outpost and in what sequence 5. As the outpost expands, what additional equipment and materials would be brought from Earth and in what sequence

Join Larry Ahearn, VP Chapters, and David Stuart, Chapters Committee Chair, as they announce the 2020 chapter awards for activities held in 2019. Last year, NSS chapters around the world held 553 events reaching 45,600 people. View the presentation of honorable mentions, special merit awards, excellence awards, the David Dunlop International Award, and the Robert Compton Chapter of the Year Award.