Space Tourism Award for Philanthropy
Space for Humanity is honored to receive the Space Tourism Award for Philanthropy
Executive Director Rachel Lyons accepts the Space Tourism Award for Philanthropy on behalf of Space for Humanity at the 2023 Space Tourism Conference. Pictured with Allison Dollar, CEO of the ITV Alliance.
“Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.”
- Albert Camus
We’re over the moon to receive the Space Tourism Award for Philanthropy from the Space Tourism Conference! This award celebrates our mission to send impact-driven leaders on sponsored journeys to space where they experience a shift in perspective, empowering them to prioritize people, the planet, and our most pressing problems in their missions back on Earth.
What is this shift in perspective?
It is called the Overview Effect, a term coined by space philosopher and author Frank White to describe the profound cognitive shift in awareness and worldview generated by the intensely rich perceptual experience of actually seeing the Earth from space. It is a state of awe with self-transcendent qualities, precipitated by a particularly striking visual stimulus. It can cause changes in the observer’s self-concept and value system, transforming them, their lives, and the lives of those they meet.
We are grateful for the support and collaboration of the space community. Thank you for sharing our vision of a more peaceful and prosperous world through this experience! We believe that it is integral that we motivate humanity to tackle the most significant challenges to our precious planet and all its inhabitants. We continue to build upon our work to bring the Overview Effect to more people, for the good of all people, and encouragements such as this one from the STA help show us we are achieving this awareness.
Congrats also go to the STC. The conference itself was the most successful yet, not only for Space for Humanity, but the wider Space community! We built new friendships and strengthened old. We caught up with friend of the organization and Blue Origin astronaut, Sharon Hagle. We also had the honor to share the stage with Frank White, and Spacekind and Virgin Galactic founding astronaut, Loretta Whitesides. It truly was an unforgettable experience.
If you are interested in learning more about the overview effect and our mission, you can visit our website or watch this short documentary that features interviews with astronauts who have experienced it firsthand. You can also read Frank White’s book The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution, which explores the concept in depth and includes testimonies from many space travelers. We hope that by sharing these resources, we can inspire you to join us in our quest to make a positive difference in the world through space tourism. Thank you for your attention and support!
To space for Earth!
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