
We are people from around the world dedicated to the creation of a spacefaring civilization. We are an independent nonprofit nonpartisan educational membership organization.
The 2010 Robert A. Heinlein Memorial Award was presented to Dr. Peter Diamandis, who is recognized primarily (among many other globally significant efforts), for his work to create and effectively run the X PRIZE Foundation, which has led directly to the founding of multiple private companies whose goals are to develop vehicles capable of carrying passengers and cargo into space. The award specifically recognizes him for his continuing efforts in support of the private sector in space and the innovative development of space technology through the concept and implementation of X Prizes. Under Diamandis, the Foundation has also worked to transfer the effective concept of the X PRIZE into other fields of endeavor. In addition, he was the founder of the student pro-space group SEDS and a co-founder of the Singularity University, Space Adventures Ltd, and the Zero-Gravity Corp. He has transformed the way we view and approach the human effort to break out into space, and many believe that he is the most effective private space advocate ever. For these accomplishments and the future ventures that align with Heinlein’s work, NSS was proud to award Peter Diamandis the 2010 Robert A. Heinlein Memorial Award.
The 2010 Gerard K. O’Neill Award for Space Settlement Advocacy was awarded to physicist Freeman Dyson, in recognition of his many years of support for the concept of human space settlements. This includes his position as president of the Space Studies Institute, founded by Dr. Gerard K. O’Neill, since 1992. This, along with his involvement in many related areas, such as his work on Project Orion, has contributed an enormous amount of ideas and technical work in support of space transport, settlement, and development. His very significant work in physics has also helped in understanding the space environment, while his rational poking at scientific sacred cows have helped to keep the spirit of open discussion within the scientific community alive. NSS also honors him for his books and articles, in which he focuses on fundamental philosophical issues regarding the role of science for humankind and humanity’s role in the cosmos.
The Space Pioneer Awards for 2010 went to:
The 2010 Chris Pancratz Space Activist of the Year Award was presented to to the NSS Membership Committee, to recognize them for their hard work. That committee has accumulated more teleconference hours than any other. David Stuart is chair of the committee and also NSS vice president for membership.
NSS Star Crystal Award: The NSS Grand Prize — the Star Crystal Award — for the 2009 NSS / NASA-Ames Space Settlement Design Contest was presented by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden to the Durango Aerospace Design Team from Durango High School in Colorado. The team is led by teacher Daniel Garner.
The team’s project is called “ARESAM” and is centered on a Stanford torus type space colony orbiting Mars. The award, newly created this year, is a crystal sculpture which accurately depicts the stars in the nearest five parsecs of space surrounding our star Sol, and is produced by the artist Bathsheba Grossman.
Bruce M. Clark, Jr. Award: This new annual award scholarship is presented to the highest scoring individual student in the NSS-NASA Space Settlement Design Contest for outstanding achievement. Bruce M. Clark Sr. spoke about why the scholarship was created in memory of his son and presented two scholarships in his name. This year, a $2,000 scholarship with a $1,500 travel stipend was awarded to Prateeksha Das, of Ispat English Medium School, in Odisha, India for her project, “Paradise Reclaimed.”
In addition, Mr. Clark presented a $500 scholarship with a $1,500 travel stipend to the second highest ranking individual, Nidrabingi Ramesh Reddy from Andhra Pradesh, India for his project “GSS: Galileo Space Settlement.”
The 2008 NSS Excellence Awards for distinguished service to the Society were presented to:
We are people from around the world dedicated to the creation of a spacefaring civilization. We are an independent nonprofit nonpartisan educational membership organization.