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Space Topics: 25th Anniversary Gala Awards DinnerIn Our Members' Words:Why I am a Member of The Planetary SocietyTo celebrate our 25th year and recognize the millions of people who have joined with us throughout those years, we asked our members to tell us in their own words, “Why I am a Member of The Planetary Society”. Here are just a few of the responses:“I joined The Planetary Society to support the privately sponsored exploration
of space, and because I believe that humankind should continue to expand our
horizons by reaching toward the rest of the universe regardless of what the
governments of the time advocate. I also believed that the Planetary
Society could become a force for unifying the peoples of the Earth in a common
purpose, and over the last 25 years we have seen that to be the truth. I still
believe in Carl Sagan’s vision for the future and will continue to support
the Society’s far into that future as possible. The rest of the
universe is waiting.” “That's easy for me. Carl Sagan, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke and many others who inspired me with their words and enthusiasm for science and exploration and the poetry of planetary adventure from the time I could read. I've been like a sponge for every word they've ever written. I wanted to be the kid to cobble together my own radio telescope and thrill to the first faint signals of ETI (now I participate in seti@home, the reason why I got a computer finally.) I voyaged through the Cosmos with Dr. Sagan and when Mr. Bradbury ended my favorite novel "The Martian Chronicles" with the bold statement that 'we are the martians' the rightness of it prickled up and down my arms in goosebumps. That feeling of awe and wonder has never dissipated and I still have it whenever I see the cover of The Planetary Report. As
I remember it, Ray Bradbury's "The Green Morning" was
the first sf story I ever read in a primer at school and I was hooked from
that moment on. The image of a gently terraforming Johnny Appleseed on Mars
has never left me. :)” “Living here in Israel which at times like this seems to exist in a
kind of reality warp, reading news of the Cosmos through the eyes of the Planetary
Society is a welcome change – if you will, a close encounter with the
magnificence of the physical universe – the extraordinary beauty and
immensity of creation. Reading tales of solar sails, Kuyper bodies, Martian
terrestrial exploration makes one's soul soar above the perplexities of the
world outside our door. Thank you for the respite and the hope.” “ …As a member, I belong to a club made up of like-minded people
-- real people -- who just happen to be quite worthy of admiration. We
can't all be astronauts or Principle Investigators for interplanetary missions,
but we can all be enthusiastic members of the Planetary Society!" “…my kids have grown up wearing Society t-shirts, playing with Earth and Mars pillows, and telling their friends that Dad’s name is on Mars. At the office I have two certificates for solving the codes on Spirit and Opportunity, and my jacket is COSMOS I TEAM. …Over the years I’ve given a few gift memberships to people who like me, want to learn more. Exploration is all about the unknown. If we can ask the questions, then shouldn’t we look for the answers? If I
could wish for one thing to mark 25 years of the Planetary Society it would
be an announcement that COSMOS I will fly again.” “Why am I a Member of The Planetary Society? That’s
an easy one!!! During WWII, I worked for NACA (before it became NASA)
at Moffett Field, California. They had just built the facility, Ames
Aeronautical Laboratory. So naturally, when the Planetary Society came
along, I had to join so I could keep up with news of space exploration. There
were several of us who worked at NACA and kept in touch with reunions over
the years. When one of our group passes on, we take up a collection and
make a memorial contribution to The Planetary Society….As Colombo would
say – one more thing. On an historical note, I was in the NACA
Hq in Washington, D.C., for several months being trained for my job as aeronautical
librarian. One day, I was introduced to an aviation legend – ORVILLE
WRIGHT. So—why wouldn’t I join The Planetary Society???!!! Congratulations
on your 25th!!!” “The Planetary Society is the one-stop-shopping place for public connectivity
with space programs, whether for information, interaction or advocacy.“ “The Planetary Society at the occasion of its 25th anniversary should
be congratulated for fulfilling remarkably well its duty. Under the leadership
of the most famous scientists and managers in the world, it has been able to
create a unique link between those who dream to explore and those who indeed
explore. The Planetary Society has not deviated from the narrow path of making
planetary science accessible and appealing to the public, while respecting
fully the precise nature of scientific discovery. Its true international membership
and the willingness of its leaders to make it international have made the Planetary
Society a reference for all planetary exploration programs in the world. It
offers broad and generous perspectives of cooperation in both the technical
and scientific domains. The Society as a whole should be congratulated and
supported in the difficult task it sometimes faces in conducting its mission.
On behalf of COSPAR [Committee on Space Research], I am pleased to convey to
its members and its leaders our best wishes for a successful continuation of
its role and achievements.” “The Society epitomizes the dream of exploration.” “I joined the Planetary Society when I was a kid back in the 80s, still
starry-eyed from Voyager and absolutely glued to "Cosmos" on TV (my
mother *loved* Carl, like all mothers did). The hook was set completely
when I took planetary classes from Bruce [Murray] as an undergrad at Caltech,
and then had the opportunity to work with and learn from some incredible people
there and elsewhere as a student. I never dreamed that I'd be able to
participate in some of the same kinds of amazing exploration adventures that
Carl so eloquently shared with the world back then, and certainly never imagined
that I'd be invited to help to guide the objectives of the Society itself.” "The race to put a man on the moon fired my imagination as a young boy. I wanted to know how the universe worked! My desire to learn more about space developed into a major interest in science and traditional science fiction.…Today, even after forty years in engineering, the last twenty-one owning my own engineering business, the exploration of the universe through astronomy is still my favorite hobby. So what does the Planetary Society provide for someone like me? "Just" an unparalleled opportunity to participate in an almost endless variety of space related activities! For example, I have been an avid supporter of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, the Solar Sail program and recently the Pioneer Anomaly project. I have attended a number of excellent Planetary Society public events, the latest being the NASA Spirit rover landing on Mars. I've been able to shake the hands of real astronauts and cosmonauts! The Planetary Society does an incredible job promoting space science and exploration
initiatives in general. Together we have funded scientifically significant
but neglected areas of space research and are encouraging the next generation
to reach for Mars to continue mankind's exploration of the universe. Is
the recent surge of space commercialization initiatives at least partially
a result of Planetary Society members showing that public interest in space
is at an all time high? We members have learned that operations in space
are no longer a monopoly of governments. Maybe...my company can help
lead the charge into space... " "Being part of the Planetary Society reminds me how little we are compare "Being a member of the Planetary Society has given me a sense of participation
in all of the missions related to space exploration as well as the missions
where the Planetary Society has played a key roll, such as landing on Mars
(yes, my name is up there) and the solar sail mission….Keep up the good
work." "Great idea! But I wouldn't need 25 words to explain why I'm a member; only
two. Carl Sagan." "I'm a member of the Planetary Society because I like the dreams of the future
better than the history of the past. We must always push the space exploration
envelope and the Planetary Society is one organization that gets it done. Onward,
Outward, and Upward! Congratulations to the Planetary Society on their 25th
anniversary!" "Our species is the only one we know of that has developed capabilities to
survive rare but deadly high energy extinction-level events in our solar system. The
Planetary Society can further our probability of survival by calling attention
to our vulnerability and making people aware of what goes on outside of the "closed
system" that many regard as our world." "I am a member because it is one way that I can help to promote the development
of interplanetary travel. Governments have political reasons for
what they are doing in this regard. I have passionate reasons for this
activity. I have experienced a sense of wonder about the cosmos
for as long as I can remember. I will continue to do what I can to support
this organization that is composed of people who, more or less, feel as I do." "I get a lot of pleasure reading and viewing results of projects that
I have participated in over the 42 years of working in the aerospace industry." "I'm not sure why I look upward. The anthropologists and psychologists would
tell me that it is an innate habit, shared with unknown generations of ancestors
over dozens if not hundreds of millennia. But I'm equally likely to think that
in me it's a learned behavior, borne of childhood nights gripped by live images
of the pinnacle of Apollo accomplishments, and later an adolescent enthusiasm
for small-scale model rocketry. In either case, during adulthood the night
sky and continued interest in our Country's interplanetary accomplishments
has made me question if, given a choice, I'd repeat the earthbound career field
of science I ultimately chose. Fortunately, I can at least live the alternative
dream vicariously through my children and the Planetary Society, and so is
the reason I maintain a student membership for my oldest son to share with
his brother. That as my children enter their future they might not only gain
accomplishment from "standing on my shoulders," but that the Planetary
Society and the marvels of astrophysical technology might extend their reach
and vision that much farther." "For me, membership in the Planetary Society is a way to feel connected with
many of the unsung heroes of our age. For example, who among us wouldn't
want to have had our picture taken shaking hands with that 'Elvis Presley of
Planetary Science', Carl Sagan? …As a member, I belong to a club
made up of like-minded people -- real people -- who just happen to be quite
worthy of admiration. We can't all be astronauts or Principle Investigators
for interplanetary missions, but we can all be enthusiastic members of the
Planetary Society!" "I joined to get up to date info. on space exploration as well as to be able
to help in my small way to help push ideas along when the political machine
gets stuck (That seams to happen more and more frequently)." I believe the survival of our species lies in our better understanding of
our solar system, our galaxy and everything else beyond. Being abreast of the
latest developments in space is important. The cosmos holds all the answers.
Where else can I be better informed." “While we defend science on its merits, we should never concede that it is the opposite of spirituality. Was not Adam asked, even before the invention of sin, to name all the beasts? Isn't that what we do, each time a space probe miraculously crosses the vacuum desert, letting Adam's heirs see and know and name fantastic new "beasts"... the craters and moons and ice volcanoes and methane seas that vastly expand our appreciation of beauty and cosmic wonder? Can devout and agnostic agree on one thing -- that this adventure is marvelous? Whether you find all this meaningful - or nonsense - one thing is certain. No group pursues the quest more passionately than The Planetary Society. Take us hence, to name new wonders!" “Making the Planetary membership choice |
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