National Space Society

JOIN THE NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY! Love Space? Want to help humanity grow as a Spacefaring society? Are you GO for launch? JOIN @NSS TODAY! Basic membership is only $35-$57/yr, incl. the NSS' award-winning "AdAstra" quarterly magazine! rb.gy/i6t3

APOLLO 17 ASTRONAUT DR. HARRISON H. SCHMITT TO RECEIVE NSS APOLLO LEGACY AWARD AT ISDC-2026 Dr. Schmitt, last man to set foot on the Moon & only Apollo lunar explorer who was also a scientist, will be at ISDC-2026 to receive inaugural Apollo Legacy Award. t.ly/jQU0P

Democracy isn’t a spectator sport. We’re getting involved to protect it because when we swore an oath to the Constitution as astronauts, we meant it.

Retired NASA astronaut and U.S. Navy Captain @astro_suni will join Vast as an Astronaut Advisor. With 608 days in space, 62+ hrs of spacewalks, Williams has also held key NASA leadership roles serving as Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office and Commander of multiple expeditions. vastspace.com/updates/vast-a…

Axiom Space expects to test the spacesuit it is developing for Artemis lunar missions in space in 2027, either on the International Space Station or Artemis 3. Link in thread.

NSS Membership Director, Burt Dicht, and Downlink editor, Fred Becker, caught the historic #BlueOrigin New Glenn 3 liftoff live from Cape Canaveral earlier this week. This launch marked the first reuse of the massive first-stage booster "Never Tell Me The Odds”.

What happens next when science can confidently announce the discovery of an alien life form? Dr. Brianne Suldovsky of Portland State University has studied this mostly ignored question and come up with some interesting conclusions @nss twit.tv/shows/this-wee…

What do you think of when you think of humanity’s future in space? Lush greenhouses on Mars? 🌿

HUMANS &/vs ROBOTS In science & exploration, robots are best used in assisting humans in the "4Ds of Robotics": Dull, Dirty, Dangerous, and/or Dear (expensive). Although flying humans into a tornado would definitely not be dull, it'd obviously be too dangerous. Awesome use of a drone here. @SETIInstitute @MarsInstitute @KeplerUni @CeresRobotics @NASAAmes @nasa @nss

At 93 years old, Gene Kranz — the legendary flight director who helped save Apollo 13 — has just watched astronauts return to the Moon. The experience, he says, made him feel young again. Kranz was one of the most pivotal figures of the Apollo program, serving as flight director for seven missions, including the historic Apollo 11 landing and the life-or-death drama of Apollo 13. More than five decades later, he witnessed the Artemis II mission send astronauts on a journey back toward the Moon. The moment clearly moved him deeply. Seeing the crisp new images of the lunar surface, Kranz said it “took me back,” reigniting the same excitement he felt as a 34-year-old during the original Moon landings. Now, at 93, watching a new generation of explorers head into space made it feel as though the story was beginning all over again. What makes his reaction so powerful is the extraordinary span of time it represents. Kranz was present at the dawn of America’s space age. He guided crews through the most dangerous and intense years of lunar exploration using the primitive technology of the 1960s and 1970s. Now, more than half a century later, he is watching humanity return with vastly superior spacecraft, stunning high-resolution imagery, and renewed ambition. He noted how impressive today’s visuals are, remarking that if the Apollo teams had access to such technology, they could have supported astronauts on the lunar surface far more effectively. Back then, they achieved miracles with limited tools. Today, the technology is finally catching up to the dream. Kranz also sees Artemis as proof that America is back on track — that the Moon is once again becoming the gateway to something greater: not just fleeting visits, but the foundation for a sustained human presence beyond Earth. For a man who helped write the first chapter of lunar exploration, witnessing the next chapter is far more than nostalgia. It is history coming full circle.

Our Artemis II astronauts are back on Earth, but this is just the beginning. Artemis III in 2027 will test our lunar landers and push our capabilities forward. Artemis IV in 2028 will begin the first phase of the @NASAMoonBase and establish our path to stay. We are building with purpose, moving with urgency, and keeping our promise to @POTUS. This is how the next chapter begins at NASA.

NG-3 Update: We have confirmed payload separation. AST SpaceMobile has confirmed the satellite has powered on. The payload was placed into an off-nominal orbit. We are currently assessing and will update when we have more detailed information.

Blue Origin NG-3 update: It appears the New Glenn payload, @AST_SpaceMobile's Bluebird 7 satellite, was placed in the wrong orbit after launch. Awaiting details from @blueorigin

TOUCHDOWN! Blue Origin successfully reflies New Glenn rocket booster on NG-3. It's landed back on the recovery ship Jacklyn space.com/space-explorat…

'Sunshine' was 2007's answer to 'Project Hail Mary', and it told a much darker tale of solar catastrophe space.com/entertainment/…

NASA has given approval to begin implementing its project to support @ESA's Rosalind Franklin mission. Scheduled to launch in 2028, this Mars rover will be the first to search for signs of past or present life under the Red Planet’s surface. go.nasa.gov/4vAIeX1

Visit nasaforce.gov to learn more

A new Golden Age of exploration is here and we’re building the team to lead it. NASA Force applications open today at 1pm ET. Join NASA through a 1–2 year appointment and work on the missions pushing America higher, farther, and faster than ever before.

Artemis 2's heat shield seems to have aced its trial by fire space.com/space-explorat…