American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
AIAA is a non-profit professional membership society founded in 1932 and the world's largest aerospace technical organization, serving approximately 30,000 members across 85 countries through annual forums, publications, technical standards, and student programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1963
- HeadquartersReston, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics does
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), founded in 1932 and headquartered in Reston, Virginia, is a non-profit professional membership organization serving as the world's largest aerospace technical society, with approximately 30,000 members across 85 countries. Its core function is to convene, certify, and inform the global aerospace community through four flagship annual forums — SciTech (the largest aerospace R&D forum globally), AVIATION, DEFENSE (Secret/NOFORN), and ASCEND — alongside 71 Technical Committees, regional sections, student branches, and a peer-reviewed publications portfolio distributed through the ARC digital platform.
AIAA's product surface spans conferences and forums, continuing education courses and workshops (including topics like hypersonic vehicles, sustainable aviation fuels, and machine learning for aircraft), standards development through the AIAA Committees on Standards and U.S. Technical Advisory Groups for ISO/TC 20 subcommittees (UAS, Space Systems, Airport Infrastructure), student competitions (Design/Build/Fly and the International Rocket Engineering Competition with 150+ teams from 20+ countries), career services via the AIAA Career Center, and flagship publications including Aerospace America magazine. The organization also operates the AIAA Foundation for scholarships, K-12 STEM programs, and educator awards.
Revenue is generated through three primary streams: recurring membership dues (professional membership starts at $37 annually with tiered rates for students, educators, young professionals, and corporate members), event and forum registration/sponsorship/exhibit fees, and one-time publication and standards document sales through ARC. The organization pursues a community-led, event-driven go-to-market model, with notable partnerships including Thunderbird School at ASU (Global Space Leadership Series, 2026), the American Astronautical Society (joint astrodynamics conferences), Challenger Center (Trailblazing STEM Educator Award), HYSKY Society (sustainable aviation curriculum), and the Experimental Sounding Rocket Association (IREC). Leadership includes CEO Clay Mowry and Chairman Karl Rink.
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
- Legal name
- American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
- Website
- https://aiaa.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1963
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- AIAA is a non-profit professional membership society founded in 1932 and the world's largest aerospace technical organization, serving approximately 30,000 members across 85 countries through annual forums, publications, technical standards, and student programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Aerospace Association
- NAICS
- Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro industry
- UAS Integration, Certification & Compliance Systems (Remote ID, Detect-and-Avoid)Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing/Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) & Autonomous Platforms
Keywords
Where American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Reston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership subscriptions ranging from $37 for professional members to various tiers for students, educators, young professionals, and corporate members. Provides access to network, events, publications, and member discounts.
- Events and Forums: Revenue from registration fees for major forums (SciTech, AVIATION, DEFENSE, ASCEND), regional conferences, student competitions, and professional development courses and workshops.
- Publications and Journals: Sales of books, journals, meeting papers, and standards documents through the ARC (AIAA.org) platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Professional membership at $37/year providing access to network, events, publications, and member discounts |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AIAA operates as a nonprofit professional membership organization that delivers value to the global aerospace community through annual technical forums (SciTech, AVIATION, DEFENSE, and ASCEND), peer-reviewed journals and meeting papers, technical standards development, continuing education courses, student competitions, and digital collaboration platforms (ARC and AIAA Engage). Its core economic output is access, networking, and credentialing services paid for via individual and corporate membership dues, event registration fees, publication sales, and sponsorships.
Product overview
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) operates as a professional membership organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services for the aerospace community. The organization provides annual forums (SciTech Forum, AVIATION Forum, DEFENSE Forum, and ASCEND), professional publications including journals and books, technical standards development, and digital platforms (ARC for research content and Engage for member networking). AIAA supports aerospace education through student competitions (Design/Build/Fly and International Rocket Engineering Competition), regional student conferences, online courses and workshops, and the Aerospace America publication. The organization also offers career services via its Career Center and operates the AIAA Foundation for educational initiatives and scholarships.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ASCEND: Accelerating Space Commerce, Exploration, and New Discovery - major space-focused conference and event series
- AIAA SciTech Forum
- AIAA AVIATION Forum
- AIAA DEFENSE Forum
- AIAA Foundation
- Aerospace America
- AIAA Design/Build/Fly Competition
- International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC)
Products and services
- AIAA SciTech Forum
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 150 student teams from 20+ countries participate in annual IREC competition
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State UniversitycoreAIAA and Thunderbird at ASU launched the Global Space Leadership and Strategy Series, a program designed to develop leadership capabilities in the global space sector through executive education and professional development.
- Challenger CentercoreChallenger Center and AIAA co-administer the Trailblazing STEM Educator Award, recognizing outstanding K-12 teachers in the United States with monetary prizes and opportunities related to space exploration events.
- Italian Association of Aeronautics and Astronautics (A.I.D.A.A)minorJointly organized the 27th AIAA International Space Planes and Hypersonic Systems and Technologies Conference with the University of Naples Federico II.
- American Astronautical Society (AAS)coreAAS and AIAA cohost the annual Astrodynamics Specialist Conference and Space Flight Mechanics Meeting, combining their expertise in astronautics research and education.
- HYSKY SocietyminorAIAA and HYSKY Society jointly offer the Advanced Sustainable Aviation Fuels and Aircraft Design course, combining AIAA's aerospace expertise with HYSKY's focus on sustainable aviation.
- Experimental Sounding Rocket Association (ESRA)coreESRA hosts the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) with AIAA publishing Project Technical Reports for the first time in 2026. The competition brings together 150+ student teams from over 20 countries.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics (CSAA): CSAA is the national aerospace professional society in China, serving a rapidly growing Chinese aerospace professional base. It competes for international membership and conference participation in the Asia-Pacific region.
- German Aerospace Society (DGLR): DGLR is the German national aerospace society serving German aerospace professionals with similar membership, conference, publication, and awards programs. It is a regional analog competing for European membership and conference attendance.
Broad incumbents
- SAE International: SAE is a large, established standards-setting organization with significant aerospace standards activity (AS9100, aerospace materials standards). It competes with AIAA in standards authority and aerospace publications, but operates as a broader mobility engineering organization beyond just aerospace.
- RTCA: RTCA is the premier US aviation standards body for CNS/ATM and avionics equipment, operating as a federally recognized advisory committee to the FAA. It competes with AIAA in aviation standards influence and serves overlapping aerospace corporate members.
Direct peers
- Aerospace Industries Association (AIA): AIA is the US aerospace and defense industry trade association representing prime contractors and suppliers. While AIAA represents individual professionals and AIA represents companies, they share overlapping advocacy, policy, and standards influence on US aerospace stakeholders.
- Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS): RAeS is the world's oldest professional aerospace society (founded 1866), headquartered in the UK, serving the same aeronautics professional and student segments globally. It is the closest international analog to AIAA in scope, publications, and standards/certification programs.
- American Astronautical Society (AAS): AAS is a US-based professional society focused specifically on astronautics, with overlapping membership, conference partnerships (jointly runs the Astrodynamics Specialist Conference and Space Flight Mechanics Meeting with AIAA), and awards programs targeting the same aerospace professional audience.
- International Astronautical Federation (IAF): IAF is a federation of national aerospace societies from across the world, with overlapping member societies, conferences (International Astronautical Congress), and standards/awards roles. AIAA participates as a member society, making IAF both a peer and a meta-organization.
Emerging players
- Vertical Flight Society (VFS): VFS is a focused technical society for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft and rotorcraft, including eVTOL/UAM segments. It overlaps with AIAA in technical committee scope and competes for membership among aerospace engineers in advanced air mobility.
- IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society: IEEE AESS is a technical society within IEEE focused on aerospace and electronic systems, serving overlapping electrical/avionics engineers. It competes for member dues, conference attendance, and publication authors in adjacent aerospace disciplines.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics social profiles
Digital presenceAmerican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 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 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
What does American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics do?
AIAA operates as a nonprofit professional membership organization that delivers value to the global aerospace community through annual technical forums (SciTech, AVIATION, DEFENSE, and ASCEND), peer-reviewed journals and meeting papers, technical standards development, continuing education courses, student competitions, and digital collaboration platforms (ARC and AIAA Engage). Its core economic output is access, networking, and credentialing services paid for via individual and corporate membership dues, event registration fees, publication sales, and sponsorships.
Is American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics a public or private company?
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics founded?
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics was founded in 1963. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics based?
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is headquartered in Reston, United States, in the North America region.
How does American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are events and Forums and publications and Journals.
Who are American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics (CSAA) and German Aerospace Society (DGLR). Broad incumbents are SAE International and RTCA. Direct peers are Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), American Astronautical Society (AAS) and International Astronautical Federation (IAF). Emerging players are Vertical Flight Society (VFS) and IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society.
Does American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics have an API?
No public API is recorded for American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
What industry is American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics in?
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics's product category is Professional Aerospace Association. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAIAO, UAS Integration, Certification & Compliance Systems (Remote ID, Detect-and-Avoid). Its NAICS code is 813910 and its SIC code is 8600.