The best gifts for people who love space

For anyone who loves space, a gift can be a great way to support their interest while treating them to something they’ll love. Our 2024 holiday gift guide includes all kinds of gift ideas, from games to clothing to activities and more. As a bonus, several of these gift ideas won’t cost a penny!

Some of these items came to our attention through our online member community’s Space Bazaar, where members can advertise space-related products they create. The community is exclusive to Planetary Society members, so if you aren’t already a member, join today! 

Games, toys, and models

An interactive scale model of the Ingenuity Mars drone 

If you loved NASA’s flying Mars explorer, this detailed, 3D-printed scale model is the perfect gift. With free-spinning rotor blades, this model showcases all the features that made this spacecraft so unique and successful.

The Universe Quiz

Go head-to-head with other space fans and see who knows the Cosmos best with the Universe Quiz. This collection of trivia cards has fun and challenging questions about space, with QR codes on each card that link to sources and more information on each topic.

LEGO Tales of the Space Age

It’s always satisfying to build a LEGO set, but it can be hard to take it apart again when you’re done. With the Tales of the Space Age set, the end result is one you never need to put away. The complete set is perfect for display on a shelf or on the wall, either together or as four individual pieces.

NASA’s “The Lost Universe” tabletop roleplaying game

If you and your friends love tabletop roleplaying games, a great gift idea would be to plan a session (or two!) playing NASA’s “The Lost Universe.” For 4-7 players, this game takes you through a mystery involving a rogue planet, the Hubble Space Telescope, and a classic villain. The game instructions are free to download from the agency’s website.

An astronaut space pack water blaster

For so many kids, the dream of becoming an astronaut is what motivates them to study and work hard in school. But the dream is really all about having fun in space, right? That’s why NASA’s online store has this astronaut space pack water blaster. Transform the backyard or the park into the great expanse of space, where it’s up to your junior astronaut to fight off incoming asteroids or aliens with jets of water.

Decor and home

A Voyager Golden Record ornament

Whether you’re decorating a tree or any other spot in your home, this Voyager Golden Record ornament is a great way to celebrate one of history’s most iconic missions. Made of mirrored gold acrylic, this ornament is a replica of the time capsule that the Voyager 1 and 2 missions carried through the outer Solar System and into interstellar space.

A constellation rocks glass

Study the constellations while sipping on a nice beverage with these rocks glasses. The glasses come in two designs, with the stars and constellations of either the summer or winter sky in the Northern Hemisphere. 

A personalized star map

A classic gift for any space lover is a map of the night sky from their location on a special date like a birthday, anniversary, or any other personal milestone. With stars, constellations, planets, and the Milky Way, these posters are a beautiful decoration and a wonderful way to commemorate something meaningful. 

An aurora-inspired projector

If you got to witness this year’s spectacular and far-reaching auroras — or if you missed them and have FOMO like this writer — you might like this aurora-inspired projector. It fills the room with dancing, colorful light similar to those created around our planet’s magnetic poles.

Printable NASA exploration posters

Science and engineering meet design in this beautiful series of space exploration posters from NASA. These posters are free to download, so a great gift idea is to take them to your local print shop and have them printed and framed. 

Apparel and jewelry

Science and space exploration button-up shirts

You can wear your love of space on your sleeve with this collection of three button-up shirts featuring three designs, each commemorating a distinct aspect of humanity's journey into the great unknown: groundbreaking scientific discoveries, pioneering deep space probes that have ventured beyond Earth orbit, and historic rockets that carry us and our robotic explorers into the vast beyond.

A Planetary Society hat

An item from The Planetary Society’s online store — like these branded ball caps — is the gift that keeps on giving. Every purchase supports our mission to advance space science and exploration. When you wear our merch you’re showing the world that you’re not just a passive space fan — you’re someone who helps make more missions happen.

A fun space pin

Care for some Jupiter in your salad? This collection of pins brings space down to Earth in a unique way, with planets appearing in all kinds of delicious snacks. What better gift for someone who loves space AND ice cream?

A Mars rover family portrait T-shirt

Celebrate the evolution of Mars rovers with this T-shirt from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s official store. From Sojourner to Perseverance (with a cameo from Ingenuity), this shirt traces the technological advancements of NASA’s Mars rover program. 

Space socks (for a cause!)

Advance space exploration with every step you take in these space-themed socks. With five designs in various styles, Conscious Step has partnered with The Planetary Society so that every purchase helps fund our mission. 

Books and magazines

"Exploring Our Solar System" by Dr. Bruce Betts

The Planetary Society’s Chief Scientist, Dr. Bruce Betts, has written a series of books for kids all about the worlds of our Solar System. With awesome space images, down-to-Earth examples, and lots of great information about each planet, these books make space science fun and accessible.

A Planetary Society membership and subscription to The Planetary Report

One of the perks of being a Planetary Society member — aside from having a direct role in making more exploration happen — is a subscription to our quarterly magazine, The Planetary Report. Each issue brings you in-depth articles about space science and exploration, stargazing guides, trivia, beautiful images, and so much more. You can buy a gift membership for anyone in your life who loves space. 

“Stitching Science: Exploring Science from A-Z” 

Art and science are stitched together (literally) in this beautiful book suitable for all ages. Textile artist Lauren Wright Vartanian hand-crafted depictions of an array of science topics, from atom to zenith, with plenty of space topics in between. Accompanied by explanatory text from science writer Keltie Thomas, this book is as educational as it is artistic.  

A set of postcards from JWST’s first year

When humans need to communicate with distant spacecraft, we send radio signals. When we need to communicate with distant friends, we send postcards. Bring space into your correspondence with this set of postcards featuring images from the James Webb Space Telescope’s first year of observing. 

Grow their passion

Planetary Academy membership 

If you’re shopping for a junior space enthusiast, Planetary Academy membership makes a great gift. Aimed at kids aged nine and younger, Planetary Academy’s quarterly mailed packages take members on a journey through our Solar System to see the awesome sights of alien worlds, learn facts about the planets that are easy to share with family and friends, and do their own observations and experiments.

Plan a trip to a local planetarium

A day (or night) at a planetarium is a great way to deepen someone’s appreciation of the Cosmos. There are thousands of planetariums around the world that offer all kinds of experiences, from interactive exhibits to star shows and more. 

Buy a brick at Planetary Society HQ

If the space fan in your life already has it all — games, gadgets, books, decor, clothing, and even a Planetary Society membership — you can immortalize their love of space by buying them a custom engraved brick outside The Planetary Society’s headquarters in Pasadena, California. 

Stargazing tools

If you want to really enhance someone’s enjoyment of space, binoculars or a telescope are a wonderful gift. We have a guide to picking a beginner telescope, as well as a beginner’s guide to stargazing. We also offer an online course all about stargazing and backyard astronomy, which is exclusive to Planetary Society members. (Another reason why membership is a great gift idea!)