National Space Society - Awards

Awards

The National Space Society was awarded the "Five-Star Best in America" award by the Independent Charities of America organization in 2005:

"Space Exploration Is Good For Everyone" There is a great need today to convince the American public that boldly exploring and developing space is very important! The average American is focused on their wealth, health, and safety. They do not see the relevance of space. They have not forgotten space; they just do not see that going there is necessary - they see it as a luxury for better times. But space exploration today is improving the lives of ALL Americans! — Independent Charities of America website

The Independent Charities' Seal of Excellence is awarded to the members of Independent Charities of America and Local Independent Charities of America that have, upon rigorous independent review, been able to certify, document, and demonstrate on an annual basis that they meet the highest standards of public accountability, program effectiveness, and cost effectiveness. These standards include those required by the US Government for inclusion in the Combined Federal Campaign, probably the most exclusive fund drive in the world. According to Independent Charities, of the 1,000,000 charities operating in the United States today, it is estimated that fewer than 50,000, or 5 percent, meet or exceed these standards, and, of those, fewer than 2,000 have been awarded this Seal.

Additionally, NSS administers a number of awards. These are typically presented during the annual International Space Development Conference that NSS hosts. These awards are in recognition of individual volunteer effort, awards for NSS chapter work, the "Space Pioneer" award, and two significant awards which are presented in alternate years:

• The Robert A. Heinlein Memorial Award, given in even-numbered years (2004, 2006, etc.). The 2006 recipient was retired Air Force Brigadier General Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager for his pioneering efforts in aeronautics with the Bell X-1 rocket-powered flights of the late 1940s and early 1950s.

• The NSS Von Braun Award, given in odd-numbered years (2003, 2005, etc.). The 2005 recipient was Burt Rutan in recognition for his achievements in the development of SpaceShipOne, winner of the $10 million Ansari X Prize.

Other scholarships and award activities NSS provides or assists with include the following awards:

• The NSS-ISU scholarship, worth $12,000, to the International Space University. Application deadline is December 31 of each year, for study during the following year. The 2005 recipient was Robert Guinness of St. Louis;

• EURISY international youth science fiction writing competition (NSS provided US support in 2005), and;

• Permission to Dream space adventure for students, teachers and parents from the Space Frontier Foundation which is partly sponsored by NSS.