British Interplanetary Society
The British Interplanetary Society is a London-based, 1933-founded UK charity and learned society that serves space professionals, students, and enthusiasts through publications, technical projects, awards, and events, financed by memberships, venue hire, and donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1933
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What British Interplanetary Society does
The British Interplanetary Society (BIS) is a UK-registered charity (No. 250556) and Company Limited by Guarantee (No. 402498) founded in 1933 in London, making it one of the oldest organisations devoted to space exploration. It serves space professionals, students, academics, and enthusiasts through a portfolio of publications — including the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society (JBIS, since 1934), SpaceFlight (since 1956), Space Chronicle, and Odyssey — alongside technical projects such as the Project Daedalus starship study (1973–78) and Project Icarus (2009–2023), and a programme of awards, lectures, and conferences including the Reinventing Space Conference.
BIS is a learned society rather than a technology company; its core offering is curated knowledge, community, and convening power rather than a software or hardware product. Its underlying 'platform' is its membership network, publication archives, and affiliation structure with international bodies such as the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), the IET, the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation, and the World Space Week Association, where BIS serves as the UK National Coordinator.
The business model is a hybrid charity model: income is derived from individual and corporate membership subscriptions, publication sales, venue hire at its London headquarters, ticketed events, donations, and merchandise. Distribution is direct via the Society's website and its physical premises in London. Customer segmentation is horizontal — mixing professionals, students, and lay enthusiasts — with no single dominant customer or segment, and pricing is set at modest annual membership tiers typical of UK membership societies.
British Interplanetary Society firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- British Interplanetary Society
- Legal name
- British Interplanetary Society
- Website
- https://bis-space.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1933
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The British Interplanetary Society is a London-based, 1933-founded UK charity and learned society that serves space professionals, students, and enthusiasts through publications, technical projects, awards, and events, financed by memberships, venue hire, and donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
British Interplanetary Society industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Space Advocacy Membership Society
- akta.pro primary industry
- Space & Astronomy Programs (EDAMABAE)
Keywords
Where British Interplanetary Society is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
British Interplanetary Society business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership subscriptions providing access to publications, lectures, library, and members' area. Membership runs from 01 January to 31 December each year.
- Publications Sales: Sale of magazines (SpaceFlight, JBIS, Space Chronicle), books, and back issues through the BIS Shop. SpaceFlight is also available at WH Smith and independent newsagents.
- Venue Hire: Arthur C. Clarke House venue hire including Golovine Lecture Theatre, Technology and Concepts Annex, Council Room, and L.J. Carter Library for meetings, lectures, dinners, and filming.
- Event Tickets and Conferences: Revenue from Reinventing Space conference tickets, gala dinners, and Sir Arthur Clarke Awards ceremony attendance.
- Donations: Voluntary donations through PayPal to support the charity's work advancing space exploration.
- Merchandise: Sale of BIS merchandise and branded items through the shop and Etsy.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Full membership with all benefits including publications, lectures, library access, and members' area |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Publications including magazines, books, and back issues |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Room and venue hire at Arthur C. Clarke House |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
British Interplanetary Society product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The British Interplanetary Society is a membership society and registered charity that promotes space exploration and astronautics. It sells annual memberships granting access to publications (SpaceFlight, JBIS, Space Chronicle, Odyssey), lectures, the BIS library, and a digital members' area; sells those publications individually via its shop and selected newsagents; runs an annual Reinventing Space conference and the Sir Arthur Clarke Awards; coordinates World Space Week UK; runs the UK selection for the IAC Student Paper Competition; and rents out its Arthur C. Clarke House venue for meetings and events.
Product overview
The British Interplanetary Society offers a portfolio of publications and membership services rather than a unified software product. Its core offerings include four publications: SpaceFlight Magazine (monthly space news), JBIS (peer-reviewed academic journal since 1934), Space Chronicle (quarterly history magazine), and Odyssey (bimonthly digital science fiction and space art magazine). BIS membership provides access to these publications, events, lectures, and the BIS library. Additional services include venue hire at Arthur C. Clarke House, technical research projects, World Space Week UK coordination, the Sir Arthur Clarke Awards, IAC Student Paper Competition, and the annual Reinventing Space Conference.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SpaceFlight Magazine Monthly magazine focusing on current developments and news related to space exploration around the globe; BIS's main membership magazine containing Society news, published since 1956 with Sir Patrick Moore as first editor.
- JBIS (Journal of the British Interplanetary Society) Monthly peer-reviewed academic journal containing technical papers on a wide range of topics linked to the space sector; first published in 1934.
- Space Chronicle Quarterly magazine bringing together historical features, articles on archive material, and insights into previous achievements, milestones and untold stories in space history.
- Odyssey Digital Magazine Bimonthly electronic science fiction, space art and culture magazine provided free to BIS members, reflecting the imaginative side of space exploration.
- BIS Membership Annual membership subscription providing access to publications, events, lectures, the BIS library, the members' area, and networking with space professionals and enthusiasts worldwide (calendar-year subscription).
- Venue Hire at Arthur C. Clarke House Event-space rental at BIS headquarters including the Golovine Lecture Theatre (up to 50 capacity), Technology and Concepts Annex, Council Room, and L.J. Carter Library for meetings, lectures, dinners and filming.
- BIS Technical Projects BIS-led and partnered technical research projects in astronautics, including Project Icarus (interstellar probe design), Orbital Settlement studies, TOKNEP fusion platform design, Q-Cube educational satellite, and Human Hibernation research.
- World Space Week UK Coordination Programme in which BIS serves as the official UK National Coordinating Body for World Space Week, the international celebration of space science and technology held annually 4-10 October.
- Sir Arthur Clarke Awards Annual awards ceremony (since 2005) run jointly with the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation recognising notable achievements in space activities in the UK across Industry/Project, Academic Study/Research, Education and Outreach, Student, Media, Lifetime and International categories.
- IAC Student Paper Competition - UK Selection UK selection process for the International Astronautical Federation's annual student paper competition, run jointly with the IET Satellite Technical Network, with travel awards for the two UK finalists (undergraduate and postgraduate) selected to compete internationally at the IAC.
- Reinventing Space Conference Annual BIS conference bringing together space-sector professionals, academics and enthusiasts to discuss emerging trends, technology advances and policy in the space industry.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90+ years of continuous operation as the world's oldest space society
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use British Interplanetary Society
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
British Interplanetary Society technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
British Interplanetary Society partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Arthur C. Clarke FoundationflagshipThe British Interplanetary Society organizes the Sir Arthur Clarke Awards in conjunction with the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation. The Foundation's board selects the annual finalists and winner of the International Award. This partnership has been running since 2005.
- International Astronautical Federation (IAF)flagshipBIS runs the UK selection for the IAF's annual International Astronautical Congress Student Paper Competition. Two UK finalists (undergraduate and postgraduate) are selected to compete internationally at the IAC.
- Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)coreBIS partners with the IET's Satellite Technical Network for the IAC Student Paper Competition UK selection process, combining expertise in space education and engineering.
- World Space Week AssociationcoreBIS serves as the official UK National Coordinating Body for World Space Week, coordinating with the global WSWA to promote space education and outreach activities across the UK during October 4-10 annually.
- International Space Exploration OrganisationsminorBIS maintains relationships with space agencies and participates in international events including International Astronautical Congress and MakerFaire.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
British Interplanetary Society competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Eurospace: European trade association of the space industry, representing prime contractors and SMEs to European institutions. Comparable on industry representation and convening but operates as a trade body rather than a membership society.
- Space Foundation: Larger US-based space advocacy and education nonprofit running the Space Symposium, Space Certification program, and The Space Report industry analysis. Broader portfolio than BIS but overlapping on education, advocacy, and convening functions.
- International Astronautical Federation (IAF): International space-federation body that organizes the annual International Astronautical Congress and is BIS's strategic partner for the IAC Student Paper Competition UK selection. A broader incumbent in the same convening and awards space.
- American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA): Established professional society for aerospace engineers with peer-reviewed journals (similar to JBIS), conferences, awards programs, and student paper competitions. Compares to BIS on publications, lectures, awards, and student outreach but at much larger scale.
Others
- UK Space Agency (partner-adjacent public body): An executive agency of the UK Government responsible for the UK's civil space programme; not a peer competitor but a key partner/comparator context for BIS's UK space advocacy, awards, and World Space Week coordination role.
Emerging players
- Space Frontier Foundation: US-based volunteer-driven advocacy nonprofit promoting commercial space development. Smaller and more issue-focused than BIS but operates on a similar advocacy, events, and community-led engagement model.
Direct peers
- Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC): International nonprofit representing university students and young professionals in the space sector, with national points of contact, paper competitions, and IAC-aligned programming. Highly comparable to BIS's NextGen at BIS and IAC Student Paper Competition UK selection.
- Royal Astronomical Society: UK-headquartered learned society (founded 1820) for astronomy, geophysics, and planetary science with peer-reviewed journals, lectures, awards, and a Fellows body. Closest UK analogue in form (membership society, journals, lectures, library, awards) but focused on astronomy/geophysics rather than spaceflight per se.
- The Planetary Society: The most direct peer—a US-based membership society founded in 1980 that promotes space exploration, publishes magazines and reports, runs advocacy campaigns, and convenes members around missions and education. Closely mirrors BIS's community-led GTM, subscription model, and advocacy focus.
- National Space Society: US-based nonprofit space advocacy membership organization founded in 1987, publishing Ad Astra magazine and running the annual International Space Development Conference. Directly comparable membership-society, advocacy, and publication model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
British Interplanetary Society social profiles
Digital presenceBritish Interplanetary Society financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
British Interplanetary Society leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
British Interplanetary Society funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
British Interplanetary Society M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about British Interplanetary Society
What does British Interplanetary Society do?
The British Interplanetary Society is a membership society and registered charity that promotes space exploration and astronautics. It sells annual memberships granting access to publications (SpaceFlight, JBIS, Space Chronicle, Odyssey), lectures, the BIS library, and a digital members' area; sells those publications individually via its shop and selected newsagents; runs an annual Reinventing Space conference and the Sir Arthur Clarke Awards; coordinates World Space Week UK; runs the UK selection for the IAC Student Paper Competition; and rents out its Arthur C. Clarke House venue for meetings and events.
Is British Interplanetary Society a public or private company?
British Interplanetary Society is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was British Interplanetary Society founded?
British Interplanetary Society was founded in 1933. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is British Interplanetary Society based?
British Interplanetary Society is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does British Interplanetary Society make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Membership Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are publications Sales, venue Hire, event Tickets and Conferences, donations and merchandise.
Who are British Interplanetary Society's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Eurospace, Space Foundation, International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). UK Space Agency (partner-adjacent public body) is listed as an others. Space Frontier Foundation is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), Royal Astronomical Society, The Planetary Society and National Space Society.
Does British Interplanetary Society have an API?
No public API is recorded for British Interplanetary Society.
What industry is British Interplanetary Society in?
British Interplanetary Society's product category is Space Advocacy Membership Society. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMABAE, Space & Astronomy Programs.