THE NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY RENEWS THE MARTINE ROTHBLATT SPACE SETTLEMENT IN OUR LIFETIME COMPETITION FOR 2026

Cash Awards Will be Made for the Best Space Settlement-Related Business Plans at the National Space Society's International Space Development Conference in June

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, CA, UNITED STATES, August 26, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The National Space Society is pleased to announce the seventh annual Martine Rothblatt Space Settlement in Our Lifetime business plan competition, which challenges students, academicians, entrepreneurs, and the broader space community to develop compelling business plans that will help to enable space settlement in the coming decades. Three awards of $16,000, $10,000, and $6,000 USD are granted for the best business plans that reflect Dr. Rothblatt’s vision for space settlement as explained on the competition website at spacebizplan.nss.org.

Dr. Rothblatt has been a pioneer in satellite communications, founding the Sirius XM radio network in 1990. She later became the chairwoman and CEO of United Therapeutics, a biotechnology company devoted to prolonging human life. Her trailblazing work in organ replacement has saved countless lives and will be a key technology in creating sustainable communities in space. Her vision for space settlement is vast, encompassing the next century of human migration into space.

“Dr. Rothblatt’s vision for space settlement explores every facet of our ultimate journey beyond Earth,” said Isaac Arthur, the president of the National Space Society. “She foresees flourishing communities in free-floating space habitats. Her vision pushes the boundaries of space settlement, and our hope is that her Space Settlement in Our Lifetime business plan competition will continue to encourage advances in this exciting aspect of space entrepreneurship.”

For 2026, winners will be announced at the NSS’s annual International Space Development Conference in McLean, Virginia, which runs from June 4-7. One representative from each winning team will have their travel expenses covered to attend the finals at the conference.

The Martine Rothblatt Space Settlement in our Lifetime competition is open to anyone, of any age, anywhere on Earth (local laws and restrictions may apply). Those wishing to enter must create a compelling business plan that will help to enable some part of Dr. Rothblatt’s vision for space settlement as outlined on the competition website at spacebizplan.nss.org. Details are available from the website, along with successful business plan samples. Please be sure to view the video presentations posted for more details on a successful business plan. The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2026. All business plan submissions should be made in PDF format and will be considered final.

“We hope to see some remarkable new business plans, just as we did last year,” said Rod Pyle, Editor-in-Chief of Ad Astra magazine, the NSS’s official publication. “Dr. Rothblatt is an incredible person—one of a small number I can call a true visionary in space settlement—and her concepts for the future of humanity are truly inspiring. We thank her again for supporting this endeavor, and I encourage anyone with an idea for a business that will, in some profound way, support the future of human communities in space to enter the competition.”

ABOUT THE NSS

The National Space Society is the preeminent non-partisan citizen's voice on space exploration, development, and settlement, reaching millions through its membership, numerous outreach channels, and media activities. The organization was founded in 1987 via a merger of the National Space Institute and the L5 Society. To learn more about the NSS and its mission to establish humanity as a spacefaring species, visit us on the web at nss.org.

Rod Pyle
National Space Society
+1 626-399-4440
rod.pyle@nss.org
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