The Space Store
The Space Store is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer founded in 1996 that sells NASA-licensed and space-themed merchandise—apparel, collectibles including flown-in-space material, home goods, and kids STEM items—through its own Shopify storefront to space enthusiasts, collectors, parents, and gift buyers worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersCocoa, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Space Store does
The Space Store is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer of NASA-licensed and space-themed merchandise, operating a single Shopify storefront (shop ID 15045330) at thespacestore.com since its founding in 1996 by a female astronaut. The company self-describes as the largest NASA seller online and serves individual space enthusiasts, collectors, parents, and gift buyers worldwide with global shipping. Its catalog spans apparel, collectibles (including flown-in-space material and mission patches), home and gift items, books and magazines, and a kids-focused subcatalog featuring LEGO, STEM kits, and astronaut costumes, with pricing from roughly $2.55 (calendars) to $4,500 (Apollo A7L spacesuit replica).
The business is built on a Shopify e-commerce platform supplemented by Printful print-on-demand integration for custom apparel, which allows catalog breadth without proportional inventory risk. Inventory and supply is sourced through a network of channel partners and suppliers, including AB Emblem (mission patches), Mini Museum (flown space material), Aeromax (astronaut helmets), and brand partnerships with Champion, Adidas, and an Official Boeing Store reseller relationship. Marketing is conducted through a content blog ('What's New In Space'), an Instagram presence (@thespacestoreusa), email newsletter, and organic e-commerce SEO structured by agency (NASA, ESA, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing), mission, and product type.
The revenue model is straightforward unit-pricing retail across thousands of SKUs, with seasonal and mission-driven demand tied to launch calendars (Artemis II, SpaceX Crew missions). No B2B contracts, subscription revenue, advertising, or marketplace fees are evidenced. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or ownership changes on record, and operates with no disclosed office locations or employee headcount in the available data.
The Space Store firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Space Store
- Legal name
- The Space Store
- Website
- https://thespacestore.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Space Store is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer founded in 1996 that sells NASA-licensed and space-themed merchandise—apparel, collectibles including flown-in-space material, home goods, and kids STEM items—through its own Shopify storefront to space enthusiasts, collectors, parents, and gift buyers worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Space Store industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Space-Themed Merchandise Retail
- NAICS
- Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (45942), Office Supplies, Stationery, and Gift Retailers (4594), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)
- SIC
- Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Historical & Military Collectibles Retail (CRALAGAM)
Keywords
Where The Space Store is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cocoa
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
The Space Store business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Direct retail sales of NASA and space-themed merchandise including apparel, collectibles, gifts, toys, and educational items. Products sold at various price points from budget items ($2.55 calendars) to premium collectibles ($4,500 Apollo spacesuit replicas).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Entry-level accessories and apparel |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mid-range apparel and merchandise |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium collectibles and specialty items |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
The Space Store product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Space Store is an online direct-to-consumer retailer selling officially licensed NASA and space-themed merchandise through its own Shopify storefront at thespacestore.com. The catalog spans apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, jackets from Champion and Adidas), collectibles (mission patches, flown-in-space materials, autographs, meteorites, medallions), home and gift items, books, kids toys and STEM kits, telescopes and binoculars, and premium memorabilia including a $4,500 Apollo A7L spacesuit replica. The store ships globally and adds new designs tied to active missions such as Artemis II.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Space Apparel NASA- and space-themed clothing for adults and kids, including t-shirts, hoodies, long-sleeve shirts, polos, bottoms, ties, socks, hats, and jewelry. Includes brand-name collaborations such as Champion NASA half-zip and packable jackets and Artemis/Space Force Adidas quarter-zip pullovers. Priced from budget items (e.g., $7.95 NASA socks, $7.99 basic tees) to premium branded pieces.
- Astronaut Costumes Astronaut costumes and dress-up apparel for adults and children, including award-winning Jr. Astronaut helmets supplied by Aeromax. Priced roughly $60–$116 across the range.
- Mission Patches & Collectibles Authentic NASA, SpaceX, Boeing, and mission-specific patches (e.g., NASA SpaceX Crew 10 Mission Patch at $14.99, supplied by AB Emblem), plus autographs, framed sets, medallions and coins, meteorites and fossils, and scale models. Organized by program (Apollo, Space Shuttle, ISS, Artemis, Commercial Resupply Services, SpaceX Crew Dragon, Boeing Starliner).
- Flown-in-Space & Premium Collectibles Premium collectibles including flown space material artifacts supplied by Mini Museum (e.g., Space Shuttle Challenger LRSI Tile Fragment at $89.00), limited-edition medals ($100–$400+), and an Apollo A7L spacesuit replica at $4,500. Positioned at the high end of the catalog for serious collectors.
- Cosmic Collectibles A curated premium collectibles collection featuring the most exclusive flown-in-space materials, mission-specific memorabilia, and limited-edition space program items.
- Home & Gifts Space-themed home and gift items including calendars (from $2.55), desk accessories, globes (limited edition), mugs and drinkware, pillows and blankets, pins, posters and prints, puzzles and games, and Fisher Space Pens.
- Books & Magazines Space-related books, DVDs, children's books, and Astronomy Magazine, including current-issue items such as the 2026 Observer's Handbook.
- Kids Toys & STEM Kits Space-themed toys and educational products for children, including LEGO sets, STEM kits (physics, chemistry, robotics and coding, biology and life science, weather and climate science, dinosaurs), kids toys, space food, and kids apparel/costumes.
- Telescopes & Binoculars
Companies that use The Space Store
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Space Store technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Space Store partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- PrintfulminorPrint-on-demand partner for some apparel products. Integration mentioned for custom print products like the NASA Vector 3D Puffy Logo Dad hat.
- Official Boeing Store ResellerminorThe Space Store is an Official Boeing Store reseller of Boeing Space products including SLS Tech Line and CST-100 Starliner merchandise.
- AB EmblemminorAB Emblem is a manufacturer supplying official mission patches to The Space Store, including NASA SpaceX Crew mission patches and Boeing Starliner patches.
- ChampionminorPartnership for NASA-branded Champion apparel products including half-zip jackets and packable jackets with embroidered NASA logos.
- AdidasminorPartnership for Artemis Program and Space Force Adidas quarter-zip pullover products.
- Mini MuseumminorSupplier of flown space material collectibles including Space Shuttle Challenger LRSI Tile Fragment.
- AeromaxminorSupplier of award-winning astronaut helmets for children and adults, including Jr. Astronaut helmets.
- Affiliate ProgramminorThe Space Store offers a 'Become an Affiliate' program for partners to earn commissions on referred sales.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Space Store competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Mars Store: Independent online retailer focused specifically on Mars-themed merchandise, apparel, and collectibles. Directly comparable as a niche space-themed D2C e-commerce storefront competing for the same enthusiast and gift-buyer audience.
- ThinkGeek: Pop-culture and geek-themed e-commerce retailer (now part of GameStop) selling collectibles, apparel, and novelty merchandise organized around fandom categories. Comparable in D2C collectibles/gift model and horizontal hobby segmentation.
Broad incumbents
- NASA Shop (Official): Official NASA-operated merchandise storefront with the broadest licensed catalog and strongest brand authority. Acts as both the upstream licensor and the largest incumbent competitor to The Space Store's reseller position.
- SpaceX Shop: Official SpaceX merchandise storefront operated by the OEM. Comparable assortment of mission patches, apparel, and branded collectibles, representing direct brand disintermediation risk for any third-party space merchandise retailer.
- Hot Topic: Specialty retailer of pop-culture apparel, accessories, and collectibles including licensed space/sci-fi lines. Comparable in gift/novelty collectibles targeting fandom-driven consumer segments, though broader in category scope.
- BoxLunch: Pop-culture themed retailer carrying licensed apparel, collectibles, and gift items including space/sci-fi IP. Comparable assortment mix (apparel + collectibles + gifts) and target customer (gift buyers and fandom enthusiasts).
Emerging players
- Firebox: UK-based novelty and gift retailer with a curated assortment of geek/space-themed products. Comparable as a D2C novelty/gift storefront with a themed assortment and impulse-buy pricing tiers.
- AstroReality: Space-themed product company offering augmented-reality-enabled collectibles, globes, and educational items. Comparable overlap with the STEM/educational gift and premium collectible categories of The Space Store.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Space Store social profiles
Digital presenceThe Space Store financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Space Store leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Space Store funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Space Store 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 The Space Store
What does The Space Store do?
The Space Store is an online direct-to-consumer retailer selling officially licensed NASA and space-themed merchandise through its own Shopify storefront at thespacestore.com. The catalog spans apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, jackets from Champion and Adidas), collectibles (mission patches, flown-in-space materials, autographs, meteorites, medallions), home and gift items, books, kids toys and STEM kits, telescopes and binoculars, and premium memorabilia including a $4,500 Apollo A7L spacesuit replica. The store ships globally and adds new designs tied to active missions such as Artemis II.
Is The Space Store a public or private company?
The Space Store is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Space Store founded?
The Space Store was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Space Store based?
The Space Store is headquartered in Cocoa, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Space Store make money?
One revenue line is on record: product Sales.
Who are The Space Store's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Mars Store and ThinkGeek. Broad incumbents are NASA Shop (Official), SpaceX Shop, Hot Topic and BoxLunch. Emerging players are Firebox and AstroReality.
Does The Space Store have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Space Store.
What industry is The Space Store in?
The Space Store's product category is Space-Themed Merchandise Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAJAG, Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops, with a secondary code of CRALAGAM, Historical & Military Collectibles Retail. Its NAICS code is 45942 and its SIC code is 5399.