The Planetary Society

The Planetary Society is an American internationally-active non-governmental nonprofit organization. It is involved in research, public outreach, and political space advocacy for projects related to astronomy, planetary science, and space exploration. It was founded in 1980 by Carl Sagan, Bruce Murray, and Louis Friedman. It is currently led by Jennifer Vaughn as CEO, with Bill Nye as Chief Ambassador and Vice Chairman. The Planetary Society encompasses a community of over 2 million space enthusiasts and 40,000 members from more than 80 countries around the world. It is largely funded by individual donations.