Canadian Space Society
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Space Society (CSS) is a federally-incorporated non-profit Canadian corporation. Inspired by the old L5 Society
and other space interest groups, its principal objective is to sponsor and promote the involvement of Canadians in the development of Space. This grass-roots space advocacy
group is a unique combination of amateur and professional interests, pursuing the human exploration and development of the Solar System and Beyond. With some of Canada's top aerospace experts and engineers on board, the CSS is made up of people of all backgrounds and interests, including teachers, environmentalists, writers, and marketers.
In order to help carry out their principal objective, they pursue the following additional goals:
The CSS aims to work and grow in ways that allow cooperation, rather than in competition, with other space development organizations (such as the U.S.-based National Space Society
and the British Interplanetary Society
). In addition, it provides various forums to encourage communication and collaboration with other Canadian space advocacy groups.
Projects over the years include:
L5 Society
The L5 Society was founded in 1975 by Carolyn and Keith Henson to promote the space colony ideas of Dr Gerard K. O'Neill.The name comes from the and Lagrangian points in the Earth-Moon system proposed as locations for the huge rotating space habitats that Dr O'Neill envisioned...
and other space interest groups, its principal objective is to sponsor and promote the involvement of Canadians in the development of Space. This grass-roots space advocacy
Space advocacy
Space advocacy can be described as the general position supporting, pleading or arguing for the idea or cause of space exploration and settlements...
group is a unique combination of amateur and professional interests, pursuing the human exploration and development of the Solar System and Beyond. With some of Canada's top aerospace experts and engineers on board, the CSS is made up of people of all backgrounds and interests, including teachers, environmentalists, writers, and marketers.
In order to help carry out their principal objective, they pursue the following additional goals:
- to provide meeting and working places to Society members for the purposes of discussion, presentation and development of Space and Space-related technologies;
- to sponsor, promote and engage in activities designed to promote increased knowledge of Space and Space-related technologies among Society members and the general public;
- to pursue the publication and distribution of Space-related materials and products.
The CSS aims to work and grow in ways that allow cooperation, rather than in competition, with other space development organizations (such as the U.S.-based National Space Society
National Space Society
The National Space Society is an international nonprofit 501, educational, and scientific organization specializing in space advocacy...
and the British Interplanetary Society
British Interplanetary Society
The British Interplanetary Society founded in 1933 by Philip E. Cleator, is the oldest space advocacy organisation in the world whose aim is exclusively to support and promote astronautics and space exploration.-Structure:...
). In addition, it provides various forums to encourage communication and collaboration with other Canadian space advocacy groups.
Projects over the years include:
- the solar-sail design project the CSS had developed for Canada's entry to the Columbus 500 Space Sail Cup solar sail race to Mars (in 1992)
- the Tramp Steamer of Space (by Henry SpencerHenry SpencerHenry Spencer is a Canadian computer programmer and space enthusiast. He wrote "regex", a widely-used software library for regular expressions, and co-wrote C News, a Usenet server program. He also authored The Ten Commandments for C Programmers. He is coauthor, with David Lawrence, of the book...
) - the Rover Power Beaming Project
- the CRAFTI asteroid fly-by/impact mission