Name a Star Live

What Name a Star Live does

Name A Star Live is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce service that lets customers symbolically name a star and receive personalized gift sets, including certificates with astronomical coordinates, star charts, astrophotos, and optional Virtual Planetarium software. Founded in 2004 and operated as a subsidiary of Space Services Holdings, Inc. — the commercial space pioneer whose parent company conducted the first privately funded rocket launch in 1982 — the company is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Its principal point of differentiation is that star names and dedications are physically launched aboard real space missions via partnerships with UP Aerospace (SpaceLoft XL, 2007-2014) and SpaceX (Falcon 1 in 2008, Falcon 9 in 2012), with launch certificates confirming mission time, date, and altitude.

The business sells two parallel product lines: Instant Gift Sets (digital downloads from $19.95 to $79.80) and Keepsake Gift Sets (physical products from $39.95 to $119.95), plus a Launch Collection of mission patches and pins commemorating specific historical flights. Distribution is exclusively through the company's own website, with free USPS Priority Mail shipping to the continental US and international delivery to Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. The My Sky portal serves as a registered-star management platform with constellation calendars and launch updates, and the company maintains a corporate gifting program for employee recognition and client appreciation.

Revenue is generated entirely through one-time e-commerce transactions, with no subscription or recurring component. Customer acquisition relies on content marketing (star naming guides, astronomy education), email newsletters, organic social media, paid remarketing through Google and Facebook, and earned media coverage from Reuters, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, CNN, BBC, and others. The business holds a Better Business Bureau A+ rating and operates with 11-50 employees. No venture capital or private equity investment is disclosed.

Name

Name a Star Live

Legal name

Name A Star Live, Inc.

Website

https://nameastarlive.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Name A Star Live is a Houston-based direct-to-consumer e-commerce service that lets customers symbolically name a star and receive personalized gift sets, with star names physically launched aboard real space missions via its parent Space Services Holdings, Inc.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Symbolic Gift Services

NAICS

Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (459420)

SIC

Costume Jewelry & Novelties (3960)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSACANAK

Long-Distance/International Gift Shipping Coordination

Home & Personal Services/Event & Personal Concierge Services/Gift Planning, Wrapping & Delivery Services

SECONDARYCRAKAFAK

Luxury Gifting & Seasonal Collections

Consumer Products & Retail/Jewelry, Watches & Luxury Accessories/Luxury Goods & Maison Brands (Multi-category)

Keywords

• Star naming service
• Personalized gift sets
• Space memorabilia products
• Astronomy education products
• Custom keepsake items

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Star Naming Gift Sets: One-time purchase revenue from selling star naming gift packages. Products range from basic instant digital downloads ($19.95) to premium physical gift sets with framing and accessories ($119.95+). Revenue is generated at point of sale with no recurring component for the customer.
2. Space Launch Add-ons: Additional revenue from launch certificates, mission patches, and mission pins commemorating participation in specific space missions. These are add-on purchases tied to historical and upcoming launches.
3. Accessories and Add-ons: Separate sales of astronomy tools like the Planisphere Constellation Finder ($9.95), Virtual Planetarium software downloads ($29.95), and additional framed or printed certificates and charts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Name A Star Live sells symbolic star naming gift sets that allow customers to name a real star, register it in a proprietary database, and have the star name physically launched aboard actual space missions. Products are delivered as instant digital downloads or physical keepsake gift sets that include personalized certificates with astronomical coordinates, star charts, astrophotos, and optional Virtual Planetarium astronomy software, priced from $19.95 to $119.95.

Product overview

Name a Star Live is a star naming service operated by Space Services Inc. that allows customers to symbolically name stars and receive commemorative gift sets. The core product portfolio consists of two main categories: Instant Gift Sets (digital downloads ranging from $19.95-$79.80) and Keepsake Gift Sets (physical products ranging from $39.95-$119.95). The product lineup includes: Instant Gift Set, Instant Gift Set Plus, Instant Gift Set Premium, Instant Gift Set Premium with Virtual Planetarium, Deluxe Gift Set, Deluxe Framed Gift Set, Ultimate Children's Gift Set, Star Bear Gift Set, and Ultimate Romantic Gift Set. Add-on modules include Star Certificates, Star Charts, Astrophotos, Planisphere Constellation Finders, and Virtual Planetarium software. The Launch Collection offers mission-specific items including patches and pins for historical space flights (Legacy, Discovery, Explorers, Pioneer, Goddard, New Frontier, Centennial, and Conestoga). The My Sky Portal provides an online platform for star registration, visibility calendars, and launch tracking. The company uniquely combines star naming with actual space missions, launching customer star names and dedications aboard real rockets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• My Sky: Online platform for customers to register stars, view constellation calendars, and access star visibility information

Quantifiable outcome

• Star names launched to Earth orbit, the Moon, and deep space aboard various missions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Space Services Holdings, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company of Name A Star Live. Space Services Inc. is the commercial space pioneer that launched the first privately funded rocket in 1982. It operates regular space missions and maintains the star naming registry. Name A Star Live is a subsidiary and product of Space Services.
• UP AerospacecoreTechnology or IntegrationLaunch provider for multiple Name A Star Live space missions. Star names and dedications have been launched aboard UP Aerospace SpaceLoft XL rockets from New Mexico's Spaceport America for missions including Discovery (2009), Pioneer (2010), Goddard (2011), Centennial (2013), and Conestoga (2014) flights.
• SpaceXcoreTechnology or IntegrationSpace launch provider for Name A Star Live orbital missions. The Explorers Flight (2008) was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket from Kwajalein Atoll, and the New Frontier Flight (2012) was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
• USPS (United States Postal Service)minorOthersShipping provider for physical gift sets. Offers USPS Priority Mail (free for continental US keepsake gifts) and Priority Mail Express options. Handles both domestic US and international deliveries.
• CelestisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated company under Space Services Holdings that offers memorial spaceflight services for cremated remains. Mentioned alongside Name A Star Live in the company's family of space-related websites and services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Star Registry: Founded in 1979, ISR is the longest-running commercial star-naming service and the most direct competitor to Name A Star Live, offering near-identical symbolic star-naming packages and certificates to individual gift buyers.
• Star Name Registry: Established commercial star-naming service selling similar symbolic star-naming gift sets with certificates and constellation charts, targeting the same novelty-gift buyer with overlapping price points.
• Online Star Register: European-based star-naming service with a comparable digital-first product, mobile app, and gift-set offering; competes directly with Name A Star Live in the symbolic star-naming category globally.

Others

• Celestis: Sister company under Space Services Holdings offering memorial spaceflights (cremated remains launched to space). Closely adjacent business leveraging the same parent, launch partners, and mission infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Personalization Mall: Major personalized-gift e-commerce retailer with a much broader catalog of customizable gifts; competes for the same novelty-gift buyer but across many categories rather than specializing in star-naming.
• Etsy: Massive online marketplace for personalized and handmade goods, hosting dozens of third-party sellers offering star-naming-style products; competes with Name A Star Live on discovery and price comparison.
• 1-800-Flowers.com: Large multi-category gifting retailer serving the same occasions (Valentine's, anniversaries, holidays) and customer occasions; overlaps in gifting intent though not in star-naming product.
• Frontgate: Premium curated gift and home retailer (Williams-Sonoma brand) competing in the high-end gifting segment where Name A Star Live positions its $74.95-$119.95 keepsake sets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nameastarlive
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/name-a-star-live

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Name a Star Live