The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) SETI Committee is a permanent committee focused on the scientific Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Its work covers both technical efforts to detect evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations and the broader social and international implications of a possible discovery. The Committee operates under the IAA Commission on Space Physical Sciences, organizes SETI sessions at the annual International Astronautical Congress, supports workshops and studies, publishes research related to SETI, and promotes student involvement in the field.

The International Big History Association (IBHA) is an organization dedicated to promoting the study and teaching of Big History—an interdisciplinary field that examines the history of the universe from the Big Bang to the present, integrating insights from cosmology, geology, biology, anthropology, and human history. Big History seeks to understand the integrated history of the Cosmos, Earth, Life, and Humanity, using the best available empirical evidence and scholarly methods.

The Breakthrough Initiatives is an ambitious program created with the aim of searching for extraterrestrial life and exploring outer space. Founded in 2015 by Julia and Yuri Milner, it includes several key areas, each of which is aimed at expanding our understanding of the universe and the possibility of life beyond Earth. Breakthrough Initiatives brings together scientists, engineers, and researchers from around the world seeking to answer one of humanity’s biggest questions: Is there life beyond our planet?

The Institute began small, with just one project – NASA’s SETI program – and two employees, founder Tom Pierson (a former grants administrator at San Francisco State University), and astronomer Jill Tarter. Over the years, other research disciplines have been added to the Institute’s portfolio, all unified by their relevance to the search for, and understanding of, life beyond Earth. Today, the Institute has approximately 100 scientists as well as specialists in administration, education, and outreach.

In 1980, Carl Sagan, Louis Friedman, and Bruce Murray founded The Planetary Society. They saw enormous public interest in space that was not reflected by government investment, as NASA’s budget was cut again and again. They established The Planetary Society to give anyone from anywhere in the world an active role in advancing space exploration.

Today, The Planetary Society continues this work  as the world’s largest and most influential non-profit space organization. The organization is registered 501(c)3 non-profit and engages a global community of more than 2 million space enthusiasts