KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL, UNITED STATES, September 9, 2024 — The National Space Society (NSS) has published a position paper concerning NASA’s announced plan to cancel the VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) mission to the Moon. VIPER has been in the works since 2018 and was intended to investigate the useful resources thought to exist at the lunar south pole.

In July, NASA announced its plans to cancel the mission due primarily to cost overruns and concerns with the planned lunar lander. The original budget of the mission was $433.5 million for the rover and another $235.6 million for launch and lunar landing services to be provided by commercial partners Astrobotic and SpaceX. As of NASA’s announcement, the VIPER rover, being developed by the agency’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, had exceeded the agency’s budget-growth limits, costing $450 million to date. This was the stated reason for the cancellation, which would save an estimated $84 million, or about one-eighth of the projected total mission cost.

NASA has offered to accept solicitations from private entities to complete and send the VIPER rover system to the Moon “at no cost to the government,” in its current form and without any disassembly.

NSS supports the continuation of the VIPER mission, whether led solely by NASA or in collaboration with commercial partners. However, with VIPER’s future uncertain, NSS additionally proposes that NASA consider adopting a different approach to lunar exploration, as outlined in the NASA-funded Evolvable Lunar Architecture (ELA) report from 2015, which advocates for a fleet of multiple small, low-cost commercial rovers sourced from multiple commercial providers. This approach would eliminate the risk of single-mission failure and promote redundancy. It would also allow for exploration over a wider range of the lunar surface and enhance the chances of success.

The cancellation of VIPER would be a tremendous blow to not just NASA and its commercial partners but would also cripple NASA’s larger goals. VIPER is a cornerstone of NASA’s Artemis program and directly supports the long-term goals of sustainable lunar exploration and resource utilization. Without VIPER, the Artemis program risks falling short of its transformative potential, reducing it to little more than a repeat of the Apollo missions.

Read the NSS Position Paper.

The recent NASA proposal to cancel the VIPER mission underscores the significant risks inherent in large, complex, and high-cost lunar missions. However, VIPER is not just another mission; it is a cornerstone of NASA’s Artemis program, directly supporting the long-term goals of sustainable lunar exploration and resource utilization. Without VIPER, the Artemis program risks falling short of its transformative potential, reducing it to little more than a repeat of the Apollo missions.

The National Space Society supports the continuation of the VIPER mission, whether led solely by NASA or in collaboration with commercial partners. However, with VIPER’s future uncertain, we additionally propose that NASA consider adopting a different approach to lunar exploration, as outlined in the NASA-funded Evolvable Lunar Architecture (ELA) report. This report advocates for multiple small, low-cost commercial rovers sourced from multiple providers, which eliminate the risk of single-point failure and promote dissimilar redundancy. Additionally, it broadens the scope of resource identification and characterization necessary for establishing economically viable reserves. This strategy aligns with the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program and fosters competitive entrepreneurship in space exploration to drive future innovation.

Read full NSS Position Paper.

The National Space Society (NSS) applauds the April 23 recommendation by the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) to move the Office of Commercial Space Transportation, known as AST, out of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversight. Moving the AST up in the Department of Transportation hierarchy would address concerns that it currently does not receive the resources and priority it needs to regulate a rapidly growing and increasingly complex space launch industry.

Dr. George Nield, a COMSTAC member, said, “Space has changed … and we need to figure out how to deal with that more quickly. So that means we need to have somebody at the table, flagging important issues, asking for decisions, getting feedback, and raising other concerns.”

The National Space Society supports independence from the FAA for the Office of Commercial Space Transportation. In March, NSS and its partner organizations conducted a citizen advocacy event on Capitol Hill through the Alliance for Space Development (ASD) co-led by the Space Frontier Foundation.

“Elevating AST out of the FAA was one of our primary goals in our meetings with Congress. The idea attracted a lot of attention on the Hill,” said Jonathan Dagle, NSS Policy Chair. “We met with about 70 offices, combining our efforts with the Space Frontier Foundation and other ASD member organizations. Citizen advocacy is just one example of how groups like the National Space Society enable people to make a difference and help set the conditions to ensure humanity’s future in space.”

Other government initiatives championed by NSS and ASD include the extension of the “learning period” for commercial human spaceflight, and a new examination of the commercial viability of space-based solar power, a technology that has a minimal carbon footprint and could address many concerns about climate change and provide affordable green energy.

The Global Spaceport Alliance (GSA) has put forth a legislative proposal entitled the “Commercial Spaceflight Operations Act of 2024.” GSA’s proposal aims to strengthen the nation’s position in space by supporting “the licensing and operation of commercial space transportation systems and spaceports.” This would be accomplished by establishing a new commercial space transportation administration, creating a commercial spaceflight research alliance, creating a national spaceport network, and adopting a national spaceport policy, among other provisions. The National Space Society (NSS) is generally supportive of provisions in GSA’s proposed Commercial Spaceflight Operations Act of 2024, including improving spaceport infrastructure and supporting point-to-point transportation through space.

The GSA proposed legislation would create the Commercial Space Transportation Administration within the Department of Transportation. The Administration would have regulatory powers related to commercial space transportation safety. The proposed legislation also would establish an Assistant Secretary for Commercial Spaceflight position under the Department of Transportation.

The GSA proposed legislation would also establish a Commercial Spaceflight Research Alliance that is operated by a consortium that would be formed by a university, nonprofit, or not-for-profit organization. Activities of the consortium would include: facilitation of data-sharing related to commercial spaceflight, seeking broad consortium membership and participation from both domestic and international stakeholders, seeking to maximize cost sharing and enable the commercialization of private sector products and services, and promoting voluntary consensus standards and best practices for commercial spaceflight.

The GSA proposed legislation would add a section to Federal law establishing a national spaceport policy stating that “The U.S. Government strongly supports the development and operation of a National Spaceport Network, consisting of commercial, government, and privately-operated launch and reentry sites, that will allow assured access to space for all users, while enabling the United States to: (1) Satisfy national security requirements; (2) Maintain technological leadership; (3) Enable international competitiveness; and (4) Provide inspiration for students and the development of a robust aerospace workforce.”

The GSA proposed legislation provides a mechanism for the Space Transportation Infrastructure Matching Grants Program to make project grants to support projects that will improve space transportation infrastructure and operations.

The GSA proposed legislation adds language that Congress supports point-to-point transportation through space for both national security and economic reasons, and that the U.S. must be the lead in developing such transportation capabilities. Also, a report must be submitted to Congress that assesses potential barriers to hypersonic and suborbital vehicles being used for point-to-point transportation, identifies necessary legal changes to allow such operations, and recommends flight trajectories and/or corridors that could be used for vehicle testing and demonstrations for point-to-point transportation.

While NSS is generally supportive of the provisions in this legislative proposal, there are some concerns. There is no mention of the existing Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) under the FAA, and its role after the creation of the new administration is not clear. Additionally, NSS is concerned that the $25,000,000 threshold for qualifying as “unusually burdensome regulation” is too high. The space sector is home to many small businesses who could be unusually burdened by regulations with less monetary impact than $25,000,000.

Another concern is that there are few details regarding the purview of the proposed new Commercial Space Transportation Administration. This is a critical time in the future regulation of space activities with debate currently happening regarding the Commercial Space Act of 2023 (H.R. 6131) and a competing National Space Council legislative proposal. NSS supports the provisions of the Commercial Space Act of 2023. The Department of Commerce, with its Office of Space Commerce, is the right agency to regulate, authorize, and supervise novel space activities. This direction would clearly define a single responsible agency for licensing future space activities while ensuring authorization and continuing supervision as required by the Outer Space Treaty. This certainty will benefit government and commercial stakeholders and help to ensure continued U.S. leadership in space.

The NSS position on the new Commercial Space Transportation Administration proposed in the GSA’s Commercial Spaceflight Operations Act of 2024 is to limit its purview to launch, re-entry, and point-to-point Earth transportation activities.

For the detailed legislative language, visit the Global Spaceport Alliance website.

Thursday, February 15, 2024, 9:00 pm to 10:15 pm EST

NSS Space Policy and March Storm

Register for this Space Forum

With Special Guest Jonathan Dagle
Technologist, Futurist, and Strategist
NSS Policy Chair and Planetary Defense Policy Lead

Join us for an enlightening Town Hall presentation that delves into the crucial role the NSS plays in shaping and influencing space policy. NSS Policy Committee Chair Jonathan Dagle will explain the journey from NSS policy formulation to implementation, shedding light on how NSS positions are developed and disseminated. Gain insights into NSS’s strategic focus on key policy areas and discover actionable ways for your active participation.

Members have a unique opportunity to become pivotal figures in policy advocacy by participating in the March Storm in Washington, D.C., from March 11 to 13, 2024. This annual space advocacy event aims to influence policy decisions and secure funding for space-related programs. The March Storm brings together citizen-advocates to engage with congressional representatives, advocating for priorities that align with space exploration, development, and human expansion – all integral components of the NSS mission.

Seize the chance to engage directly with lawmakers and their staff during the March Storm, advocating for the significance of space development, exploration, and technology. Jonathan will provide insights into the workings of the March Storm and guide you on how to get involved, ensuring you can directly impact space policy and contribute to the future of the space program. Don’t miss this informative and timely Town Hall, showcasing how both the NSS and you can actively shape space policy. Register today using the link below.

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Jonathan Dagle is a technologist, futurist, and strategist. He helps organizations craft strategies and implement technologies to better achieve their goals. A retired Air Force officer with diverse, international experiences, Jon has served as a bombing range manager in Germany, an air combat operations planner, an aircrew instructor, strategist at Air Force “Checkmate,” and created the Air National Guard’s strategy division. He participated in several war-games, managed and participated in think tank research studies, and consulted on several Army War College studies.

Jonathan is the Policy Chair and Planetary Defense Policy Lead for the National Space Society. He is responsible for overseeing the development of NSS positions on legislation and other space matters. He also leads the development of planetary defense policy. He represents NSS as a board member on the Alliance for Space Development.

Register today to reserve your seat and ask your questions. Use the link below.

Register for this Space Forum

Register no later than February 15 at 8 pm EST

Past NSS Space Forums and Town Halls may be viewed here.

On December 12, Dr. Greg Autry and Michelle Hanlon, Esq, both affiliated with the National Space Society (NSS), addressed the U.S. House of Representatives for its hearing on “The Mineral Supply Chain and the New Space Race.” Dr. Autry, a former member of the NSS Board of Directors and current Vice President of Space Development for NSS, is the Director and Clinical Professor of Space Leadership at Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University. Ms. Hanlon, a former NSS President and current member of the NSS Board of Directors, is the Executive Director of the Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi and founder of For All Moonkind’s Institute on Space Law and Ethics.

NSS Executive Vice President Hoyt Davidson commented, “NSS congratulates Michelle and Greg on their testimony at the the ‘Mineral Supply Chain and the New Space Race’ hearing before the House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources. Professor Hanlon is a past President of NSS and one of our leading thinkers on space law and policy. Her testimony explained the significance and importance of the U.S. and its Artemis allies playing a leading role in space development. Only by leading can we be sure that space law and norms of operations in space evolve toward free market practices versus a state-controlled construct as might be expected were China or another less democratic entity to seize this new high ground first.”

Davidson continued, “Dr. Autry explained the economic imperative and urgency of the U.S. and its allies being first to develop space resources for both economic and national security reasons. His testimony included examples of how greatly, and in some cases unexpectedly, our citizens and the world have benefitted significantly from past investments in space activities. He also championed the merits of reasonable levels of government funding for R&D to support dual-use space technologies even in the face of serious and competing needs for our current pressing problems.”

NSS encourages this new interest within our legislative branch regarding the importance of space resources to the future of our country and the world, and sees government policy, priorities, and regulation as critical to our nation’s ability to play a leading role in the peaceful development of space for the benefit of everyone on Earth. As Davidson put it, “This emerging effort, fueled by well aligned public-private partnerships, will allow us to tap the virtually limitless commodities in space, helping to relieve pressure on Earth’s environment. Space may one day be the source of new natural resources driving our economy.”

Professor Hanlon noted, “I am very grateful to the House Committee on Natural Resources for organizing this hearing. Space activities affect all of us every day and space resource utilization has the potential to impact all human lives in ways we cannot begin to imagine. This was the beginning of a conversation, one that revealed some skepticism of the concept of utilizing extraterrestrial natural resources. I hope that House members continue to allow voices, both pro and con, to be heard on this topic. As I mentioned in the hearing, the beauty of the United States is that everyone has a say. How we utilize space assets will affect all of us, and above all, we need to encourage awareness and debate. It was an honor to participate and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity offered by Chair Gosar.”

NSS supports the increasing interest in space by new parts of the U.S. government such as the House Natural Resources Committee.  Space utilization for human benefit will gradually become a government-wide issue and one that will increasingly need to be addressed by a variety of committees and bodies within the U.S. government. Space resources are a key factor in our nation’s future success and are no longer merely within the domain of scientists alone as they have been labeled in the past.

Benefit sharing is a concept that refers to the distribution of benefits derived from the exploration and use of outer space among different stakeholders. Article I of the Outer Space Treaty (OST) says that outer space is the province of all mankind. Space is a potential source of immense scientific, economic, and social benefits. However, today these benefits are not equally enjoyed among nations and regions, as some have more access, financial resources, and capabilities to explore and exploit outer space than others. There are significant disparities in the capabilities, resources, and interests of different actors in the space domain, which may lead to conflicts and inequalities.  Developing nations face challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, legal frameworks, regulatory regimes, risk capital, and public awareness to support their involvement in space activities. Such nations may face many more urgent challenges which preclude their participation in space activities. Therefore, it is important to consider how the benefits of outer space can or should be distributed among stakeholders. Article I of the OST also states that exploration and use of outer space “shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic or scientific development.” Benefit sharing is not clearly defined or regulated in the existing international space law framework, which creates legal uncertainty and challenges for space activities such as space resource utilization.

To cast light on this subject the National Space Society has just published a paper on “Benefit Sharing” Terms of Reference. The purpose of these terms of reference is to define and explain how the National Space Society proposes that the concept of “benefit sharing” should be understood with regard to space activities and development. We recognize that other stakeholders may use this term differently, and such differences may lead to confusion and misinterpretations in discussions around these topics. The terms of reference are intended to broadly define the parameters of what types of benefit sharing the National Space Society supports or does not support. The National Space society plans further work on this subject in the future, using this terms of reference as a guide.

The National Space Society recently joined forces with the Beyond Earth Institute and the Space Frontier Foundation to encourage NASA to rethink budget cuts to New Horizons, one of the most successful deep-space robotic missions in NASA’s storied history. The joint NSS/Beyond Earth/Space Frontier Foundation letter was sent to NASA and Congressional leadership on September 13.

The New Horizons spacecraft was launched in 2006 and flew past Pluto in 2015, the first probe to do so. It then swung past a planetoid called Arrokoth in the Kuiper Belt, the vast region surrounding the outer solar system, in 2019. Massive amounts of scientific data were returned from both encounters, and more continues to come in from the furthest reaches of the solar system as the spacecraft continues to fly in excellent health, by some estimates capable of operating until at least 2050.

“New Horizons has flown a brilliant, near-flawless mission to some of the harshest regions in space,” said Hoyt Davidson, NSS Executive Vice President. “It continues to operate well and is returning data from regions never explored. Unfortunately, NASA has decided to cut funding to this modestly budgeted mission, and the National Space Society is doing its best to see that this does not occur.”

Specifically, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD), charged with implementing budget cuts for the upcoming year, selected New Horizons as one of the missions to be downscaled. The resulting cuts would dismiss the scientists who have successfully overseen the mission since its launch and replace them with a new team that would operate at a much lower level, with resulting savings of only about $2-3 million.

Mission Principal Investigator Dr. Alan Stern said, “New Horizons is the only spacecraft in the Kuiper Belt, and the only one currently planned to go there. We have valuable new Kuiper Belt observations, and a search for a new flyby target, still to complete every year until we leave the Belt. Quitting this exploration prematurely, after spending nearly $1 billion to get New Horizons to the Kuiper Belt seems to many of us to be tragically mistaken, a poor use of taxpayer money, and a lost scientific opportunity that can never be recovered from.”

To address this, NSS leadership joined with leaders from Beyond Earth Institute and the Space Frontier Foundation to circulate a petition on Change.org to encourage NASA and the SMD to seek cuts elsewhere. The petition gathered over 7,000 signatures and numerous donations. This comes after a letter signed by a dozen notable space leaders and citizen scientists, including Queen’s Brian May, Carl Sagan’s widow Ann Druyan, former NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, and Bill Nye, was sent to NASA leadership protesting the cuts.

NSS COO Dale Skran added, “While we understand NASA’s need to respond to a reduced overall budget, the decision to cut New Horizons funding seems shortsighted. We support the agency and laud its goals, but the effects of these cuts would be so overwhelming for science and eventual space settlement, and the savings so meager, that it seems apparent that these small sums could be trimmed from other, larger programs able to better withstand such reductions in funding.” Skran continued, “NSS has a long history of space activism and of influencing policy in spaceflight decisions in the U.S., and we hope this will be one more example of U.S. citizens and taxpayers helping to guide decision-making at the highest levels.”

The joint letter included the results of the successful petition and indicated strong support from the general public as well as the pro-space organizations who partnered on the document.

On September 15, 2023, the National Space Society, in partnership with Space Renaissance International (SRI), will host a joint session in New York City to advocate for the inclusion of an 18th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) focused on the expansion of humanity into space. The effort, supported by a coalition of 55 space organizations, will be used to shape a value proposition to be presented to United Nations delegates for the inclusion of this Space SDG in the U.N. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“The space domain is clearly a different operating environment from Earth’s,” said Karlton D. Johnson, retired Air Force Colonel, Chairman of the NSS Board of Governors, and Chairman of the NSS International Committee which is leading the effort. “As such, we need a goal that will facilitate development of the space domain while garnering returns to address Earth-based challenges.”

Dr. Fredrick Jenet, NSS International Committee Co-Chair, added, “We presented our initial thoughts on an 18th SDG for permanent human expansion into space to the 66th Session of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space [COPUOS] last June. Our ideas generated positive and enthusiastic reactions from many attendees. From there, largely because of tireless efforts by SRI CEO Adriano Autino, this movement has gained a huge following of professional organizations interested in seeing UN delegates submit and pass a resolution for an 18th SDG for human expansion into space.”

Enthusiasm for the September 15th joint session in New York City, which will occur during the UN General Assembly Science Summit, has grown rapidly. Organizations such as the Mars Society, Space Development Foundation, Beyond Earth Institute, and many others have lent strong support to the initiative. Alfred Anzaldua, long-time Policy Chair for NSS and International Committee member said, “It’s remarkable to see the surging support for this new SDG. This 18th SDG will help to focus people inside and outside the UN on the benefits that will accrue for humans everywhere, including on Earth, with the permanent expansion of human communities living and working in space. As a bonus, such an expansion will also help make many of the other 17 SDGs become more quickly sustainable.”

Dale Skran, NSS COO, added, “We’re extremely happy to see NSS continuing to take a leadership role in shaping the future of key space sector issues internationally. This discussion is what our organization is all about.”

People wishing to watch the sessions will be able to do so via YouTube (https://youtube.com/live/3dyrsT5jtaM) on or after September 15th.

Image: Karlton D. Johnson, Chair of the NSS Board of Governors and Chair of the NSS International Committee, and Alfred Anzaldua, also of the NSS International Committee, present at the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Committee on the Peaceful Uses for Outer Space (COPUOS) meeting in Vienna, Austria, in June.

Plans Include Dismissal of Current Science Staff—National Space Society Urges Continued Funding and Signing Petition of Support (go.nss.org/new-horizons)

NASA’s highly successful New Horizons mission, which was the first and only planned spacecraft to explore the Kuiper Belt, is facing a massive budget cut and a drastically diminished mission profile. The cuts intended by NASA would effectively terminate Kuiper Belt exploration years before the spacecraft exits the Kuiper Belt and dismiss the longstanding and successful mission science team.

Mission Principal Investigator Dr. Alan Stern said, “New Horizons is the only spacecraft in the Kuiper Belt, and the only one currently planned to go there. We have valuable new Kuiper Belt observations, and a search for a new flyby target, still to complete every year until we leave the Belt. Quitting this exploration prematurely, after spending nearly $1 billion to get New Horizons to the Kuiper Belt seems to many of us to be tragically mistaken, a poor use of taxpayer money, and a lost scientific opportunity that can never be recovered from.”

The New Horizons mission launched in 2006 after more than a decade of planning. The spacecraft returned data and images on its way to Pluto, encountering an asteroid, flying past Jupiter, and ultimately sending back the first close-in images of Pluto and its five moons in July 2015. Prior to this, the best pictures of Pluto came from the Hubble Space Telescope and were just smudges a few pixels wide—New Horizons imaged the planet at a distance of just 7,800 miles (12,500 km), transforming our understanding of Pluto and the outer solar system.

New Horizons then continued its historic journey, venturing into the Kuiper Belt, a large region surrounding the outer solar system, filled with rock and ice “planetesimals” left over from the formation of the planets. In January 2019, it made the first ever reconnaissance of a Kuiper Belt Object called 486958 Arrokoth. The results provided a revelation—the planetesimal was actually composed of two smaller bodies that had fused together at low velocities, in a never-before-seen pattern.

If the NASA cuts aren’t reversed, the science team would be replaced, and the mission switched strictly to heliophysics study. The resulting savings would be just $3-4 million per year.

The National Space Society is joining with a number of other pro-space organizations as well as individuals including Queen’s Brian May, Carl Sagan’s widow Ann Druyan, former NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, and Bill Nye, to request continuation of the mission with the current science team. Toward that end, the NSS has set up a petition at Change.org (go.nss.org/new-horizons).

Hoyt Davidson, a space investment banker and Executive Vice President of NSS stated, “The Save New Horizons petition is still in its infancy but has gathered close to 1200 signatures and almost 70 sponsors donating money to support the effort. Momentum has started to build and there are new organizations joining this cause. We have only two more weeks to promote this petition to save the New Horizons mission, so please help by signing, sharing, and sponsoring. The exploration of the Kuiper Belt by New Horizons matters!”

The Change.org petition (go.nss.org/new-horizons) must achieve critical mass before the first week of September to reach decision makers in time to have an effect. Please consider signing the petition and be sure to tell your friends and post on social media.