National Space Society

Recorded live at the International Space Development Conference in McLean, Virginia, Ad Astra Editor-in-Chief Rod Pyle and Space.com EiC Tariq Malik are joined by Apollo legend and former Johnson Space Center director Gerry Griffin. Griffin takes us on a journey through his extraordinary career, from his appointment as a flight director in the wake of the Apollo 1 fire, through the audacious decision to send Apollo 8 around the moon, all the way to the nail-biting rescue of Apollo 13. We also venture behind the scenes of Ron Howard's Apollo 13 film, where Griffin reveals the real story behind some of Hollywood's most famous dramatic spaceflight moments. It's a rare, firsthand account of the golden age of human spaceflight — from one of the few people who was there for all of it. https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space/episodes/213?autostart=false

This Week in Space: Live From ISDC With Gerry Griffin | TWiT.TV Recorded live from the International Space Development Conference in McLean, Virginia, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik are joined by Apollo legend and former Johnson Space Center

NSS congratulates the four-person prime crew and backup astronaut selected for the upcoming Artemis III mission!

The prime crew includes three NASA astronauts and one representative from the European Space Agency (ESA). The crew Commander is Randy Bresnik of NASA and the Pilot is Luca Parmitano of ESA. They will fly with Mission Specialists Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio, both of NASA, with Robert Hines as backup crew.

Karlton Johnson, NSS CEO, said, “Every generation is called to advance the frontier. The crew of Artemis III now carries that responsibility. By helping to validate the systems and partnerships that will enable future exploration, they are helping to write the next chapter of human spaceflight. The National Space Society congratulates them on this historic assignment.”

Targeted for launch as soon as late 2027, Artemis III will fly for approximately two weeks. The primary objective of Artemis III is to test the Artemis lunar landing system, including one or both of the Human Landing System (HLS) candidates, SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon, in low-Earth orbit (LEO).

Dale Skran, NSS COO and SVP, said, “We applaud Administrator Isaacman’s re-envisioning of Artemis III as an engineering test mission. His clear-headed leadership has put America on a realistic path to a permanent lunar base.”

The crew will pilot the Orion spacecraft into orbit, where they will conduct a highly choreographed series of maneuvers to rendezvous and test docking capabilities with the HLS contenders.

According to NASA, the technical parameters of the mission are designed to mitigate risks before sending astronauts back to the Moon. By demonstrating integrated hardware, software, propulsion, and communication interfaces closer to Earth, NASA aims to secure operational baselines for the subsequent Artemis IV mission, which is currently scheduled for 2028 and aims to land Americans in the lunar south pole region for the first time in over 50 years.

Are you early in your space career and looking for your community?

We’ve launched our Young Professionals initiative -- where early-career space professionals can find their path, build connections, and create opportunities!

NSS members who are graduate students, early-career professionals, career switchers, and emerging leaders in the space industry are all encouraged to join. Benefits include monthly interactive community sessions, skill-building workshops, access to the NSS Career Center, discount registration for our annual International Space Development Conference, and more! This program prioritizes real conversations and real connections to founders, professionals, and peers across the industry.

Get 50% off Regular and Student NSS memberships with code YOUNG-PROFESSIONAL

Learn more today and sign up today: nss.org/young-professional

“We welcome [student] voices, especially because the diplomats of today, the delegates who sit around the table…they will change. You will be those people in the years to come…

See everybody as a human being, everybody having a shared interest, because space is shared.

Look at our astronauts. When Artemis II went to the moon, was it only Americans who were celebrating? Only the Canadians celebrating? No! It was the world celebrating! We were all excited.

Astronauts are our best envoys for humanity, so we want the delegates who sit on [UNOOSA] to have that same sense. To realize that they’re doing what they’re doing for everyone.”

When asked about paths towards careers in space with the United Nations, Aarti Holla-Maini, Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), encouraged us to stay open to what’s possible, ready to seize opportunities as they present themselves.

She also shared an important and encouraging reminder – everybody has value to add. At UNOOSA, there are political scientists, lawyers, linguists, communications strategists, engineers, and more - each making crucial contributions to the work and success of the Office.

UNOOSA was awarded this year’s NSS Space Pioneer Award for excellence in service to the space community.

Every year, ISDC features a series of unique presentations, each showcasing innovative research and the passion of the next generation of scientists.

We listened as a talented Italian researcher, Michela, shared her PhD project exploring what happens to cancer cells in the space environment.

Her work examines how microgravity and other space-related conditions affect cancer cell behavior, and analyzes data collected from bovine cells and ovarian tissue samples. Studies like these help scientists better understand cellular changes in space and may contribute to advances in both space biology and medical research here on Earth.

It’s inspiring to see our young professional speakers tackle complex questions at the intersection of space exploration and human health. Solid proof that the future of space-based medical research is in good hands!

The ISDC Morning Plenaries serve as the cornerstone of the conference, bringing together legendary astronauts, commercial leaders, and scientific visionaries to launch each day’s programming.

On Thursday, Dr. Dana Levin, Director of Space Medicine at VAST, thoughtfully examined the impact of environment and design on human health - in space and here on Earth - and how VAST incorporates this into their work.

His presentation reminded us of how deeply we are connected, literally, to one another and to the world around us. Appreciation of these connections is vital for progress - if we can understand these interactions, we can understand how to best keep people safe and healthy in a variety of environments, including those among the stars.

“Design matters for human health,” Levin said. For example, it’s not just the first aid kit itself, but the environment in which it was designed to function, that allows the kit to successfully heal the injured.

As we think about the future of human life in space, we must explore these connections. How do we bring health infrastructure into space design? How can we integrate elements proven to support emotional and mental well-being — such as separate, defined areas for work and rest — into our space stations? What other aspects of our day-to-day routines are so familiar that we may not even think of them right away, but play a crucial role in allowing us to not only survive, but thrive, in the future?

Asking these questions about our future, in turn, teaches us more about how to support human health today.

And just like that…ISDC 2026 is officially underway!

NSS is pleased to announce its Space Pioneer Award for Firefly Aerospace’s science and engineering success with its first lunar mission, Blue Ghost Mission 1. Firefly will accept the award at this year’s International Space Development Conference (ISDC).

Conference chair Dr. Pascal Lee said, “Firefly Aerospace succeeded in its first attempt to soft land on the Moon and operate a complex suite of NASA science and technology instruments for an entire lunar day. It is the first commercial company to accomplish this feat, heralding a new era in free enterprise and private ventures on the Moon. This award celebrates the magnificent achievement of the men and women behind the mission.”

As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, Firefly’s Blue Ghost mission landed on the Moon on March 2, 2025—the first commercial lunar lander to do so successfully. In addition to lunar landers, Firefly also develops small and medium-lift launch vehicles and orbital vehicles. Its multiple advanced designs for rocket engines are pushing the envelope for efficient launch vehicles and the precise delivery of orbital payloads.

Conference co-chair and Editor in Chief of the NSS quarterly magazine, Ad Astra, Rod Pyle, added, “The technologies driving our future in space will take many shapes and forms, and offer a range of capabilities. We laud Firefly’s first completely successful private lunar landing. Their contributions to the new space age reflect bold thinking and a willingness to try daring things.”