Green Bank Observatory
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1956
- HeadquartersGreen Bank, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Green Bank Observatory firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Green Bank Observatory
- Legal name
- Green Bank Observatory
- Website
- https://greenbankobservatory.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1956
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Green Bank Observatory industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Radio Astronomy Research Facility
- NAICS
- Space Research and Technology (92711), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Research Universities with National Laboratories/Big Science Facilities (EDAHAAAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Space & Astronomy Programs (EDAMABAE), International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAK)
Keywords
Where Green Bank Observatory is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Green Bank
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Green Bank Observatory business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Federal Funding: Primary funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) with operational support from Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) and affiliation with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO)
- Tour and Event Revenue: Revenue from sale of tour tickets, special events, and public programs including guided site tours, SETI tours, High Tech tours, and star parties
- Food Service: Revenue from Starlight Café food service operations including meals, snacks, and beverages
- Gift Shop Sales: Retail sales through the Galaxy Gift Shop offering observatory merchandise and science-related items
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Guided Site Tours - $10 per person |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | High Tech Tours - $25 per person |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | SETI Tours - $40 per person |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Starlab Planetarium - $8 per person |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Starlight Café Menu Items |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Monthly Star Parties - FREE |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Astrobiology Teacher Workshop - FREE with support |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Green Bank Observatory product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Green Bank Observatory operates radio astronomy telescopes — most notably the 100-meter Green Bank Telescope (GBT), the world's largest fully-steerable radio telescope — providing scientific observing time, data processing, and instrument support to the research community. It also offers visitor programs (guided site tours, SETI tours, High Tech tours, Starlab planetarium, star parties), educational workshops, and remote telescope access for students and educators. Operations are funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and managed by Associated Universities, Inc.
Product overview
Green Bank Observatory operates as a radio astronomy research facility operated by Associated Universities, Inc. under NSF funding, offering access to three distinct radio telescopes (the 100-meter Green Bank Telescope, 20-meter telescope, and 40-foot educational telescope) along with visitor programs and educational offerings. The core product is the GBT, the world's largest fully-steerable radio telescope, complemented by the 20-meter for geodetic and educational VLBI work and the 40-foot for student education. Public engagement products include guided tours (SETI Tours, High Tech Tours, Guided Site Tours), the Starlab pop-up planetarium, and specialized workshops such as the Astrobiology Teacher Workshop. Educational access is provided through programs like Radio Astronomer for a Day, student research opportunities, and field trips. The Science Center serves as the visitor hub with exhibits, dining, and retail.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Green Bank Telescope (GBT) The 100-meter Green Bank Telescope (GBT) is the world's largest fully-steerable radio telescope, used for scientific observations across multiple radio frequency bands. It is the facility's primary instrument for radio astronomy research and is made available to the scientific community through NSF-supported observing programs.
- 20 Meter Telescope A 20-meter radio telescope used for geodetic VLBI measurements of Earth's rotation and wobble, educational programs, and pulsar research. It is automated through the University of North Carolina's Skynet Robotic Telescope Network and operates across 1.3–1.8 GHz and 8–10 GHz frequency bands.
- 40 Foot Telescope A 40-foot educational radio telescope used primarily for student education, including the Education in Radio Astronomy (ERIRA) summer workshops and the Radio Astronomer for a Day program. It operates with a receiver at 1350–1430 MHz.
- SETI Tour A special guided tour at $40 per person celebrating Green Bank's historic role in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Includes visits to historic telescope control rooms used by Frank Drake (Project Ozma) and Jill Tarter (Project Phoenix), plus a close-up view of the GBT. Recommended for ages 12 and up; advance reservations required.
- High Tech Tour An in-depth behind-the-scenes tour at $25 per person, led by Observatory engineers, covering the electronics lab, telescope receivers, and GBT control room. Includes access to restricted laboratory spaces with advance clearance. Approximately 1.5 hours; advance reservations required.
- Guided Site Tour A guided bus tour at $10 per person, including a 30-minute presentation in the Science Center Auditorium followed by a 30-minute tour of the facility on a radio-quiet bus. Tours begin on the hour from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm.
- Starlab Planetarium A pop-up planetarium offering a 45-minute night sky tour at $8 per person. Accessible to ages 4 and up, with limited capacity. Advanced purchase strongly recommended.
- Astrobiology Teacher Workshop A five-day free workshop for middle and high school science teachers covering astrobiology foundations, careers, and current research. Includes scientific lectures, hands-on activities, curriculum development, and participant radio data collection. Travel support up to $400, room and board, and a $400 stipend are provided for U.S. citizens attending the full program. Limited to 20 participants.
- Radio Astronomer for a Day A virtual educational program that allows student groups to remotely operate the 20-meter telescope for radio astronomy observations, conducted via internet remote control through the Skynet Robotic Telescope Network.
- Green Bank Science Center A visitor center housing the Catching the Wave exhibit hall, an auditorium, the Galaxy Gift Shop, and the Starlight Café. Offers educational exhibits, tours, and public programs for visitors to the observatory.
- GBT Observer Training Workshops Training sessions designed for researchers, observers, and astronomers to learn how to conduct observations using the Green Bank Telescope, including use of its instrumentation and data processing systems.
Companies that use Green Bank Observatory
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Green Bank Observatory technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Green Bank Observatory partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI)coreNon-profit corporation that operates the observatory on behalf of NSF. Oversees observatory management, staff, and strategic direction.
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO)coreAffiliated research organization sharing scientific staff, research programs, and educational outreach. Co-hosts science events and workshops.
- University of North Carolina - SkynetcoreSkynet Robotic Telescope Network program uses the 20-meter telescope for educational remote control via internet, serving students and educators nationally and internationally.
- Virginia TechminorResearch collaboration on fast radio burst (FRB) studies using the 20-meter telescope to investigate mysterious cosmic signals.
- West Virginia UniversityminorCollaborates on fast radio burst research and hosts public lectures featuring WVU astronomy faculty including Shaw Prize winners.
- SETI InstituteminorCollaborated on A Sign in Space project and SETI research initiatives including Breakthrough Listen, the largest search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
- European Space AgencyminorPartner in A Sign in Space project, a simulated extraterrestrial message reception initiative involving multiple international organizations.
- Italian Institute for Astrophysics (INAF)minorCollaborated on A Sign in Space project alongside ESA and SETI Institute for international simulated message reception from Mars.
- Breakthrough ListenminorLargest search to date for evidence of civilizations beyond Earth. GBT participates in collecting and analyzing SETI observation data.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Green Bank Observatory competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO): NRAO is GBO's sister organization under the same NSF/AUI management structure, operating the Very Large Array and Very Long Baseline Array. It shares GBO's mission, federal funding model, telescope infrastructure, and research community — making it the most directly comparable peer.
- ALMA Observatory: ALMA is a leading international radio/millimeter astronomy facility in Chile operating an array of 66 antennas. It directly competes with the GBT for radio astronomy research funding and observing time, and serves a comparable global scientific community.
- Jodrell Bank Observatory: Jodrell Bank is a UK-based radio astronomy observatory home to the Lovell Telescope — historically one of the largest steerable radio telescopes. It operates with comparable visitor programs, public engagement, and research mission to GBO.
- Effelsberg Radio Telescope (Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy): Operated by the Max Planck Institute in Germany, the 100m Effelsberg telescope is one of the world's largest fully-steerable radio telescopes — a direct technical peer to the GBT serving the same global radio astronomy community.
- Parkes Observatory (CSIRO): CSIRO's Parkes Observatory in Australia operates a 64m radio telescope known for pulsar and SETI research. It shares GBO's scientific mission, public engagement model, and CSIRO/agency-funded operational structure.
- SETI Institute: The SETI Institute is GBO's research partner on Breakthrough Listen and A Sign in Space. It conducts SETI and astrobiology research using facilities including GBO, and serves overlapping scientific and public-engagement audiences.
- Lowell Observatory: Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona is a non-profit research observatory with a strong public outreach model including daily tours, evening programs, and educational offerings — directly comparable to GBO's visitor business.
- Mount Wilson Observatory: Mount Wilson is a historic California observatory offering public tours, educational programs, and ongoing research. It shares GBO's heritage-observatory profile, visitor-driven revenue model, and non-profit operational structure.
- Arecibo Observatory: Arecibo was Puerto Rico's flagship radio/radar astronomy facility and historically the world's largest single-aperture telescope. Although now in limited operation after the 2020 collapse, it remains a directly comparable peer in mission and audience prior to its decommissioning.
Broad incumbents
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum operates as a much larger, federally-supported space/science heritage institution with extensive exhibits and visitor programming. While it doesn't operate telescopes, it competes for the same public science engagement audience and STEM education funding.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Green Bank Observatory social profiles
Digital presenceGreen Bank Observatory financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Green Bank Observatory leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Green Bank Observatory funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Green Bank Observatory M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Green Bank Observatory
What does Green Bank Observatory do?
Green Bank Observatory operates radio astronomy telescopes — most notably the 100-meter Green Bank Telescope (GBT), the world's largest fully-steerable radio telescope — providing scientific observing time, data processing, and instrument support to the research community. It also offers visitor programs (guided site tours, SETI tours, High Tech tours, Starlab planetarium, star parties), educational workshops, and remote telescope access for students and educators. Operations are funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and managed by Associated Universities, Inc.
Is Green Bank Observatory a public or private company?
Green Bank Observatory is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Green Bank Observatory founded?
Green Bank Observatory was founded in 1956. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Green Bank Observatory based?
Green Bank Observatory is headquartered in Green Bank, United States, in the North America region.
How does Green Bank Observatory make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Federal Funding is the primary driver. The others are tour and Event Revenue, food Service and gift Shop Sales.
Who are Green Bank Observatory's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), ALMA Observatory, Jodrell Bank Observatory, Effelsberg Radio Telescope (Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy), Parkes Observatory (CSIRO), SETI Institute, Lowell Observatory, Mount Wilson Observatory and Arecibo Observatory. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Green Bank Observatory have an API?
No public API is recorded for Green Bank Observatory.
What industry is Green Bank Observatory in?
Green Bank Observatory's product category is Radio Astronomy Research Facility. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAAAJ, Public Research Universities with National Laboratories/Big Science Facilities, with a secondary code of BPAGAHAA, Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty). Its NAICS code is 92711 and its SIC code is 8731.