J. David Baxter, a former NSS Board member, has been involved in political activism in support of space exploration since the 1970s and is a founding member of the Utah Space Association (USA). He has served as president since its reinstatement in 1998. USA was named the 2002 Space Activist Chapter of the Year by NSS.
Mr. Baxter was the originator of the Spaceweek concept back in 1971, when it was first known as the United States Space Program Week. He also originated the July 20 Space Day concept which became an official U.S. Space Observance by congressional resolution in 1976. Baxter is still working on obtaining a permanent July 20th Space Exploration Day Holiday (comparable to Flag Day) to commemorate the anniversary of the first Moon landing.
Baxter was an invited participant to the August 1998 NASA Lewis Research Center Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Workshop, which aimed to encourage research into ways to accomplish star travel in acceptable time frames with acceptable energies.
Baxter has served three terms on the NSS Board of Directors for Region 4 (1992-1994, 2002-2004, and 2008-2010). He also organized an NSS/AIAA Regional Space Development Conference in 2006.
Baxter holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mass Communications from the University of Utah, and a Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Electronics Engineering Technology from ITT Technical Institute.
