Each year at the International Space Development Conferences, the National Space Society honors individuals and groups who have made significant contributions consistent with the Society’s mission of creating a spacefaring civilization. These awards include:
- The Robert A. Heinlein Memorial Award, for lifetime contributions to the creation of a free
spacefaring civilization. Selected by vote of the NSS membership and given only in even-numbered
years. - The NSS Wernher Von Braun Memorial Award, for the greatest space team effort of the year, given only in odd-numbered years.
- The Gerard K. O’Neill Memorial Award for Space Settlement Advocacy, given occasionally as warranted.
- The Space Pioneer Awards, usually three of which are given each year in recognition of significant accomplishments in opening the space frontier.
- The Chris Pancratz Memorial Space Activist of the Year Award for the person who has done the most to move forward the development of space.
- NSS Excellence Awards for individual volunteer efforts in service to the Society.
- NSS Chapter Awards for the most active chapters of the year.
- Bruce M. Clark, Jr. Memorial Scholarship was presented annually from 2010 to 2018 to the grand prize winner(s) of the NSS Space Settlement Contest.
- An NSS-ISU scholarship to the International Space University has been given occasionally.
- See also: Contests
List of awards by year:
