Space & Satellite Professionals International

What Space & Satellite Professionals International does

Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1983 and headquartered at 250 Park Avenue, New York. The organization is described as the largest, most international and cross-disciplinary membership body serving the space and satellite industry, with a 40+ year history and a footprint spanning North America, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, the Isle of Man, Nigeria, and China through local chapters and interest groups. SSPI serves both individual professionals (engineers, executives, entrepreneurs, researchers) and corporate members spanning satellite operators, manufacturers, launch providers, ground systems vendors, and legal/financial services firms, including named members such as Boeing, SES, Iridium, Hughes, Planet, BlackSky, AST SpaceMobile, MDA Space, Clyde & Co., and Access Intelligence.

SSPI's core offerings are programs and content rather than technology products. Its product portfolio includes the SSPI Membership Directory, vertical market campaigns under the Better Satellite World banner (e.g., Space Safety Economy, Defense of Space, Energy Security), The Orbiter digital publication, the SSPI podcast series, and a multi-topic newsletter suite. Recognition programs include the Space & Satellite Hall of Fame, the annual 20 Under 35 list (since 2018) with associated Promise Awards, the UK Personality of the Year honor, and SSPI-WISE women's leadership recognition. Flagship events include the Night of Excellence (combining Hall of Fame, Promise Awards, and 20 Under 35) and the SSPI Leadership Breakfast, supplemented by regional NYSBR roundtables, chapter events, and virtual programming. Digital operations run on Glue-Up for membership administration, event registration, and ticketing.

SSPI's revenue model is recurring membership dues from individual and corporate members, supplemented by corporate partnership and campaign underwriting (e.g., American Space Exploration Fund underwriting Securing the Future of Space), event ticket and sponsorship revenue, and likely charitable contributions. Pricing tiers are not publicly disclosed. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors drawn from corporate members and was recently restructured for 2026-2027 to add two new board-level vice presidencies focused on chapter strategy and governance. The go-to-market motion is community-led, combining self-serve online membership registration, chapter-based local engagement, and event-driven corporate acquisition.

Name

Space & Satellite Professionals International

Legal name

Space & Satellite Professionals International

Website

https://sspi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association founded in 1983 that serves individuals and corporate members across the global space and satellite industry through membership programs, awards, events, publications, and vertical market campaigns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: SSPI generates revenue through individual and corporate membership fees. The organization offers corporate membership with named corporate partners (Access Intelligence, Clyde & Co., American Space Exploration Fund, Hughes, Quvia) and individual membership options. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, membership dues fund its programs including Better Satellite World, Space & Satellite Futures, and SSPI-WISE initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

SSPI is a nonprofit professional membership association that serves the global space and satellite industry. It delivers value through an online membership directory, regional chapters, vertical market content campaigns, recognition awards, annual events, and a digital publication called The Orbiter. Its core commercial product is membership enrollment for individuals and corporations, supplemented by paid event participation and corporate partnership sponsorships.

Product overview

SSPI is a professional membership organization serving the space and satellite industry, not a technology product company. The organization offers a membership directory connecting industry professionals, manages vertical market campaigns (Better Satellite World) with themed content through its publication The Orbiter, and operates the SSPI-WISE women's leadership initiative. SSPI administers recognition programs including the Space & Satellite Hall of Fame, the 20 Under 35 rising stars list, and Promise Awards. The organization hosts annual events including the Leadership Breakfast and Night of Excellence, supports local chapters and affiliates, and distributes multiple newsletters covering industry topics and regional chapters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SSPI-WISE: Women's leadership initiative of SSPI supporting women across the space and satellite industry through mentoring, networking, STEM outreach and recognition programs.
• The Orbiter
• Better Satellite World
• Space & Satellite Futures

Products and services

• SSPI Individual and Corporate Membership Recurring membership enrollment for individual professionals and corporate organizations in the space and satellite industry, providing access to the membership directory, newsletters, chapter events, and award programs.
• Night of Excellence Ticketed annual flagship event combining Hall of Fame inductions, 20 Under 35 recognition, and Promise Awards for members and corporate partners.
• Leadership Breakfast

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered corporate partner, campaign underwriter, event partner and platform partner.

• Access Intelligencecorporate partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerAccess Intelligence is a corporate partner of SSPI, supporting the organization's initiatives and programs including the Night of Excellence and various industry campaigns.
• Clyde & Co.corporate partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerClyde & Co. is a corporate partner of SSPI, providing legal expertise and support to the space and satellite industry's professional community.
• American Space Exploration Fundcampaign underwriterGTM or Marketing PartnerThe American Space Exploration Fund underwrites the 'Securing the Future of Space' campaign, supporting podcast episodes like Everyday Guardians and related content highlighting orbital sustainability and space safety.
• Hughescorporate partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerHughes Network Systems is a corporate partner and supporter of SSPI. Paul Gaske, COO of Hughes, serves as Honorary Chair at the Night of Excellence event.
• Quviacorporate partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerQuvia is a corporate partner of SSPI. Kidsan Barnes, Senior Vice President at Quvia, serves as Honorary Chair at the Night of Excellence event.
• Milbank LLPevent partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerMilbank LLP hosts SSPI events including the NYSBR series on Defense of Space and Financing Space at Scale at their New York office location.
• Glue-Upplatform partnerTechnology or IntegrationGlue-Up provides the event management and membership administration platform for SSPI, powering the membership directory, event registration, and newsletter systems.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA): AIAA is the largest professional society for aerospace engineers and practitioners, offering membership, conferences, journals, and recognition programs directly comparable to SSPI's role in the space and satellite industry.
• Satellite Industry Association (SIA): SIA is a trade association representing the U.S. satellite industry with corporate members including many overlapping with SSPI (Boeing, Hughes, Iridium, SES), focused on policy advocacy and industry representation.
• Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF): CSF represents the commercial spaceflight industry through policy advocacy, member events, and industry promotion, serving a comparable trade-association function focused on a different but adjacent segment of the space economy.
• National Space Society (NSS): NSS is a grassroots space advocacy and professional community organization with chapters, events, and educational programming that overlaps with SSPI's networking and education-focused activities in the space sector.
• Women in Aerospace (WIA): WIA is a professional organization advancing women's careers in the aerospace industry through networking, mentoring, awards, and events, directly comparable to SSPI-WISE's women-in-space leadership mandate.

Broad incumbents

• International Astronautical Federation (IAF): IAF is the world's leading space advocacy body, hosting the International Astronautical Congress and connecting space agencies, industry, and academia worldwide, comparable to SSPI in its international industry convening role but with a broader institutional mandate.
• Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS): RAeS is a long-standing professional membership organization for the aerospace sector offering chartered status, conferences, publications, and recognition programs closely mirroring SSPI's membership, recognition, and community functions.

Regional players

• Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA): SIAA is a national trade association for the Australian space industry, performing the same industry-representation function as SSPI but in a distinct geographic market without overlap in chapter territory.
• UKspace: UKspace is the official trade association of the UK space industry, providing advocacy, networking, and member services that parallel SSPI's offerings within the UK chapter territory.

Others

• International Space University (ISU): ISU is a higher-education institution focused on space career development and interdisciplinary training, addressing talent development and networking in the space sector in a manner thematically adjacent to SSPI's mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sspi
• Facebookfacebook.com/sspiglobal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sspi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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