RP: What victories from the final 5 years are you most pleased with?
JV: We now have a digital neighborhood that permits for a deeper reference to our members, and I simply love that neighborhood a lot. If I ever begin feeling a bit of down or like I want a elevate, going into the neighborhood and watching our members work together with one another makes me really feel nice. Having a digital neighborhood was one of many initiatives of this planning interval, and I’m tremendous excited to see it develop.
There’s additionally the Day of Motion, which we began again in 2019. Proper once we kicked off this present strategic plan, we had our first Day of Motion, and it has been so profitable on so many fronts. Our members who attend are so dedicated that they put their very own money and time into going to Washington, D.C., getting educated, and actually being the face of the general public that desires extra scientific exploration of our Photo voltaic System and past. I feel it’s very refreshing for legislators to listen to that and to see it immediately.
Our new STEP Grant program offers seed funding for brand spanking new science and know-how initiatives. We’ve all the time completed this type of work of funding smaller or area of interest initiatives — issues that had been possibly struggling to get preliminary backing — however they’re actually worthwhile steps to science and know-how. What we didn’t have till this most up-to-date strategic interval is the framework for an open name for proposals particularly supporting the three core enterprises, a daily cadence of grants, and the start of an endowment to offer future assist.
It was additionally throughout this footprint that LightSail 2 occurred. In 2019, we had an lively spacecraft, and LightSail 2 was orbiting and sending down information. We had been altering the orbits, and we had been seeing so many lovely pictures. I’m nonetheless awed that fifty,000 on a regular basis individuals got here collectively to make that mission a actuality. It’s actually astounding. The work of LightSail continues to have an actual impression on the market, and I’ll all the time be very, very pleased with the accomplishment.
I hope that our members acknowledge that these achievements are theirs. It’s their assist that makes this all attainable. By way of initiatives like our Past the Horizon marketing campaign, it’s a victory in itself to see how our house neighborhood comes collectively to create the way forward for house exploration that all of us wish to see.
RP: What can we anticipate to see within the subsequent strategic framework?
JV: I don’t have particulars I can share but as a result of we’re simply possibly a 3rd of the way in which by means of this course of. However there are particular themes which are displaying up that I do know are going to matter to us. One is worldwide connection. Ranging from 1983, the group dedicated to being a global group and never a U.S. group. We’re based mostly within the U.S. and have principally U.S. members. So in some ways, there’ll all the time be a variety of United States emphasis and perspective, however it’s essential to us that the entire world is getting enthusiastic about house. It’s essential to us that there’s a place for the entire world to come back collectively and that we are attempting to create a worldwide motion for the scientific exploration of our Photo voltaic System and past.
RP: What are you most enthusiastic about because the Society enters a brand new strategic planning period in 2025?
JV: The longer term! I’m enthusiastic about new generations getting enthusiastic about house exploration and extra individuals from around the globe getting concerned. The yr 2030 might be The Planetary Society’s fiftieth anniversary, so I’m additionally excited by a brand new inflow of vitality, concepts, and views which are being introduced into the group. By 2030, we wish to be the all time model of The Planetary Society. I’m additionally excited that Apophis goes to come back by Earth throughout this era. Apophis has been a part of our story for 20 years, and in 2029, it’s lastly passing by Earth. That’s going to be a giant milestone.
And naturally, Europa Clipper goes to reach, NEO Surveyor is scheduled to launch, and the Rosalind Franklin rover might be touchdown on Mars. It’s going to be a good time to be exploring house.
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