These guiding principles are for governing the goals and everyday activities of the Board of Directors, the officers, the Board of Advisors, and the general membership.

This document is made public so as to give MarsDrive members and interested parties insight into the identity and purposes of the organization.

1 It is our goal to be the most outreach-oriented of all the space organizations.

2 Though our name mentions Mars specifically, that is far from our only focus. We support essentially all peaceful space activities, including:

• activities of NASA, ESA, and others
• private enterprise (New Space)
• space solar power
• international cooperation
• robotic missions
• space-based industry and manufacturing
• space settlement
• lunar missions and bases
• activities at Lagrange points, LEO, geosync, etc.
• asteroid missions (exploration, mining, collision avoidance)
• space tourism (zero-gee, near-space, suborbital, orbital)
• amateur astronomy and amateur rocketry

3 We believe in personal accountability and proactivity. We believe that each person has the potential to play a role in bringing about the new space age.

4 Though our desire is to reach large segments of the U.S. (and world) populace, we recognize that we must start "in our own back yard," with the space community at large.

     4.1 We want to help and support other space groups, not compete with them.

     4.2 We are willing to be a "bridge group" between space organizations to whatever extent is useful and practical.

     4.3 We specifically support Yuri's Night as one of the greatest space outreach efforts ever conceived.

     4.4 We specifically support the annual X Prize Cup as a great space outreach effort with increasing potential to reach the public.

     4.5 We specifically support the National Space Society (NSS) and The Planetary Society as the two largest and most important space organizations in the world.

     4.6 We specifically support the Space Exploration Alliance as an "umbrella group" with great potential to increase communication and help unify the space community.

     4.7 We specifically support the annual International Space Development Conference (ISDC, sponsored by the NSS) as an event with some outreach potential (but even more "inreach" potential, i.e., networking within the space community).

5 We want to do government outreach when it is needed and appropriate (primarily in the U.S. at this time).

     5.1 Although we believe that government should not have exclusive control of space technology and infrastructure, we recognize that government will always play a role in space activities.

     5.2 We believe that a government space program will always be important as a means of "trailblazing" in space, doing scientific research for the public good and engaging in endeavors that may have no immediate economic return (and are thus not yet suitable for private enterprise).

     5.3 We recognize that taxation is an unavoidable side effect of government, and we want to help ensure that the public space program is adequately funded from our taxes. Similarly, we want to help ensure that private enterprise is taxed in a reasonable way, perhaps being given tax breaks to aid the growth of the space economy until it becomes self-sustaining.

     5.4 Furthermore, we recognize that laws and regulations of various kinds will become increasingly important as New Space continues to grow.

6 It is our perception that most space groups are 90% scientists and engineers in demographics (where "90%" is a figure of speech rather than a genuine statistic). We want to invert that iceberg. We want to be 10% scientists/engineers and 90% "everyone else." In short, we want to take space more mainstream.

     6.1 In keeping with the "inverted iceberg," we want 90% of our activities to be related to outreach and 10% related to science and engineering. By focusing on the social and cultural aspects of humans in space, we want to ensure that outreach is a primary purpose, not a side effect.

     6.2 Because we will have to present ourselves differently to the 90% and the 10%, we will strive to develop two "personalities," like the Roman god Janus who had two faces.

7 Though science and engineering are not our primary focus, we consider their crucial importance to be self-evident.

     7.1 We do want to leverage the abilities of the scientists and engineers we have as members, and will be doing our own research and mission design as time and resources permit.

     7.2 We will also support the research and development and experimentation efforts of other groups in whatever ways we can. As resources permit, we hope to provide publicity, assistance, and funding to such projects.

     7.3 In the future, we hope to provide similar support to "New Space" businesses and related private enterprise.

8 Ultimately we want to reach out to the entire general public (realizing that this is a complex and difficult task).

     8.1 We favor a "whole population" approach to space outreach, targeting not only the few who are extremely interested and involved (such as scientists and engineers) but the many who are less involved but still interested and supportive.

     8.2 We favor a "whole person" approach to space outreach, targeting not only the intellect but also the emotions and the rest of the person.

     8.3 Although we will perform many of our activities and operations in the USA, we are in fact an international group and hope to cut across boundaries of politics, language, and culture.

     8.4 To reach the public, we cannot continue to proceed randomly. Proper attention to marketing, advertising, and public relations is important. In the long run, these matters should be handled by professionals in those fields.

     8.5 We realize that different audiences will require different approaches and messages before they accept a space civilization as a common good. However, such targeted marketing will not come at the expense of diluting our core message or contradicting ourselves simply to reach particular audiences.

     8.6 We will try to reach 21st century people with 21st century techniques, including mobile devices, instant messaging, blogs, and more.

     8.7 We believe in music, movies, artwork, and television as methods for capturing the attention of the public. Documentaries, books, and more informative non-fiction are useful, but in a different way.

     8.8 We believe in the power of games as a way of outreach. This includes everything from massively multi-player online games to simple one-person computer-based games. It could even include board games.

     8.9 Games and science fiction will be used to reach out to those who like such things, but we will never imply that one must like these things to be part of MarsDrive or to be a space enthusiast.

     8.10 Rather than finding space-related "hooks" to attract the public, we will find whatever topics do interest the public and put a "space spin" on them. Example: We sponsored a Mars-themed paintball game and 417 people showed up.

     8.11 We will embrace viral marketing and stealth marketing however we can, but we will obviously refrain from any activity that is illegal or unethical.

     8.12 We will leverage social networking sites and organizations as a grassroots way to share the message.

     8.13 We will portray space efforts as being:

• humanitarian
• people-oriented
• realistic, practical, and achievable
• "green" or environmentally responsible
• an educational stimulus
• an economic stimulus
• a source of national pride
• a force for peace
• compatible with religious faith
• the fulfillment of human destiny
• and finally, as being fun and "cool"

9 We will attempt to target different age ranges and demographics individually.

     9.1 Outreach to the youngest age groups (2-10) will be largely in terms of games, cartoons, and entertainment.

     9.2 Outreach to older children (11-14) will have a greater educational element. We will assist educators in creating lesson plans.

     9.3 Outreach to high school students will have an even greater educational component, perhaps including ideas and resources for science projects, papers, and materials for debate teams (as well as scholarships).

     9.4 Outreach to university undergraduates and graduate students will be similar to our efforts with other adults in general. Currently however "Generation Y" is the most space-apathetic of all age ranges, and so will require special attention.

     9.5 In our outreach to adults in general, we will attempt to bridge barriers of education level, income level, and other such differences. We believe these important ideas can be brought to everyone.

     9.6 Outreach to senior citizens (65+) will not cease simply because these individuals are not necessarily part of the workforce. As retirees or recipients of government or other medical assistance, seniors still need to appreciate the value of space as a source of improved quality of life for them and a source of inspiration to the young.

10 In the future, we hope to provide scholarships for students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. These would be in at least three areas:

     10.1 The technical disciplines, including aerospace fields and traditional science and engineering, obviously need to be encouraged.

     10.2 The business disciplines (including management, marketing, and others) would be encouraged in order to develop the private enterprise aspects of space.

     10.3 The arts/humanities disciplines would be encouraged in order to emphasize the human and cultural aspects of space.

11 We will attempt to treat all organizations and individuals with fairness, honesty, respect, and courtesy.

12 As we grow, we will keep our accounting as transparent as possible, especially with respect to larger donations and grants.

13 Within reasonable limits, we will permit earmarked donations to go toward specific programs or projects.

14 As far as possible, we will remain apolitical. We will not endorse any particular party or candidate in the U.S. or elsewhere.

15 We aim to be a member-based and member-friendly organization.

     15.1 We will strive to listen to the voices of members, both in public forums and in private communication. We will give consideration to all opinions, advice, and ideas.

     15.2 Paying members will have access to certain privileges that non-paying members will not (specific benefits and privileges to be determined in the future). For example, MarsDrive is considering a program which will reward member activity with recognition and perhaps access to discounted products and services. However, we prefer to be more an organization of people working together rather than just a club for people to join.

     15.3 Students who are paying members (at any level) will be eligible for scholarships once MarsDrive can make them available.

     15.4 We will always strive to encourage and facilitate the communication of members, both personally and professionally, to whatever extent they wish. We want to be a community. 16 We will maintain a Board of Advisors to assist in determining our high-level courses of action. The Board of Advisors will be distinct from the Board of Directors, and will be unpaid experts or public figures who have interest and ability in providing guidance for the organization.

17 We recognize that member dues and occasional donations will not suffice for the activities described previously.

     17.1 We will seek grants of all kinds as well as large philanthropic donations if possible.

     17.2 We will engage in periodic membership and donation drives.

     17.3 We will engage in occasional sales of merchandise or services and for-profit projects (as permitted by law).

18 MarsDrive's activities will be run in accordance with the laws applicable in the locations where we operate. In the U.S., we are also bound by our Articles of Incorporation, our Bylaws, and the U.S. Internal Revenue Code 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)3, which regulates nonprofit corporations.