National Center for Earth and Space Science Education

What National Center for Earth and Space Science Education does

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, fiscally sponsored by Tides Center, that creates and administers national STEM education programs with a focus on earth and space science. Its flagship offering, the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP), is the first pre-college STEM education program implemented as an on-orbit commercial space venture: school districts, colleges, and informal education organizations apply by submitting Implementation Plans, and once accepted, each community forms a Local Team that guides grade 5-16 students through designing real microgravity experiments that are flown to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX CRS missions and operated by NASA astronauts, then returned for student-led analysis and presentation at the annual SSEP National Conference at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Supporting programs include the Voyage National Program (permanent scale model solar system exhibitions for communities), Family Science Night, Journey Through The Universe, To Earth and Beyond, and the MESSENGER Educator Fellows program.

NCESSE operates with a small staff (1-10 employees) and reaches a large footprint: 178 communities across 41 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, 4 Canadian provinces, and Brazil have participated since 2010, with 52 communities returning for multiple flight opportunities overall. Cumulative outcomes include 281 experiments flown to ISS, 109,950+ grade 5-16 students fully immersed in microgravity experiment design, 22,442+ formal research proposals submitted, and 147,000+ additional students engaged across the broader preK-16 pipeline. The business model combines community participation fees from school districts and colleges, tax-deductible donations pursuant to IRC §170(c), and local partner funding from businesses, foundations, and individuals, with no public pricing disclosure. Programs are delivered through direct institutional engagement in the U.S. and through the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education (the international arm launched in 2012) abroad.

Name

National Center for Earth and Space Science Education

Legal name

National Center for Earth and Space Science Education

Website

https://ncesse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NCESSE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that administers the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP), enabling K-12 and undergraduate students to design microgravity experiments flown to the International Space Station, and operates related STEM education programs across 178 communities in the U.S., Canada, and Brazil.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Education Services

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Space & Astronomy Programs (EDAMABAE)

Keywords

• STEM education programs
• Student microgravity experiments
• Spaceflight education initiatives
• Pre-college science research
• Solar system exhibitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Ellicott City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: NCESSE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization fiscally sponsored by Tides Center. Gifts are tax-deductible pursuant to Internal Revenue Code §170(c).
2. Community Participation Fees: School districts, colleges, and organizations pay to participate in the SSEP program, covering mini-laboratory provision and launch services.
3. Local Partner Funding: Communities receive funding from local partners including businesses, foundations, and individuals that provide funding directly to participating schools.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NCESSE creates and administers national STEM education programs focused on Earth and space science. Its flagship offering, the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP), enables grade 5-16 students to design real microgravity experiments that are launched to the International Space Station via flight-certified mini-laboratories and returned for student-led analysis. Complementary programs include permanent Voyage scale-model Solar System exhibitions, Family Science Night, Journey Through The Universe, To Earth and Beyond, MESSENGER Educator Fellows, and the international Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education.

Product overview

National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) operates as an educational nonprofit offering space science programs primarily focused on K-16 STEM education. The core offering is the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP), a national initiative enabling students to design and conduct microgravity experiments on the International Space Station. Supporting programs include the Voyage National Program (scale model solar system exhibitions), Family Science Night, Journey Through The Universe, To Earth and Beyond, and MESSENGER Educator Fellows. NCESSE also provides educational content resources including lesson compendia, presentation topics, and engaging reading materials. In 2012, NCESSE established the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education as its international arm. Programs are delivered in partnership with NanoRacks LLC, DreamUp PBC, and NASA under Space Act Agreement, with support from national partners including the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and ISS National Laboratory. SSEP represents the first pre-college STEM education program implemented as an on-orbit commercial space venture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP): Flagship program providing authentic microgravity research opportunities for grade 5-16 students to design experiments for flight to the International Space Station
• Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education
• Voyage National Program
• Family Science Night
• Journey Through The Universe
• To Earth and Beyond
• MESSENGER Educator Fellows Program

Products and services

• Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) Flagship pre-college STEM education program in which grade 5-16 students design real microgravity experiments that fly to the International Space Station in flight-certified mini-laboratories, undergo formal proposal review and NASA flight safety review, are operated by astronauts on orbit, and are returned for analysis and presentation at the annual SSEP National Conference at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
• Voyage National Program Program providing permanent 1 to 10-billion scale model Solar System exhibitions for installation in community parks, campuses, and downtown areas, serving as focal points for outdoor STEM education and featuring ADA-compliant tactile elements for blind and vision-impaired visitors.
• Family Science Night Community-wide family engagement program bringing hands-on STEM activities to families to foster shared scientific learning experiences outside the classroom.
• Journey Through The Universe National and community-based educational initiative providing astronomy and space science learning experiences through classroom presentations, family events, and community-wide programming.
• To Earth and Beyond Earth and space science education program engaging students and communities in understanding planetary science and space exploration topics.
• MESSENGER Educator Fellows Program Professional development program training educators in space science content and pedagogy, supporting implementation of Earth and space science curricula in classrooms.
• Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education International arm of NCESSE delivering space education programs to communities worldwide, currently including Canada and Brazil, with the Brazilian Foundation for Support of Physics and Chemistry in São Paulo serving as a national hub.
• Videoconference with Astronauts Live video-conferencing program connecting students directly with astronauts aboard the International Space Station to enable real-time interaction during experiment operations.
• Compendia of Lessons Curated collections of lesson plans and educational materials supporting Earth and space science instruction aligned with Next Generation Science Standards.
• Presentation Topics Ready-to-use presentation materials covering Earth and space science topics for educators and program facilitators.
• Engaging Reading Selected reading materials and resources designed to engage students in scientific literacy and space-related content.
• SSEP National Conference Annual conference hosted primarily at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum where student flight teams present experiment design and science results through oral presentations and Family Science Night activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 109,950+ grade 5-16 students fully immersed in microgravity experiment design through 178 communities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space EducationcoreOthers · 1 January 2012International arm of NCESSE launched in 2012. Recognizes that all humanity is on a journey aboard spaceship Earth, that the story of existence knows no national borders, and that all children should understand that the explorer lives within them.
• DreamUp PBCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership enabling SSEP. DreamUp PBC works with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of ISS National Laboratory utilization. Provides flight opportunities and educational content for student experiments.
• NanoRacks LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner enabling SSEP. NanoRacks works with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of ISS National Laboratory utilization. Provides mini-laboratories and integration services for student experiments.
• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASA provides Space Act Agreement for ISS utilization as National Laboratory. NASA TV covers launches and provides video content. SSEP operations conducted at NASA facilities including Kennedy Space Center and Goddard Space Flight Center.
• Smithsonian National Air and Space MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerU.S. National Partner on SSEP. Hosts annual SSEP National Conference. Provides media coverage and archival webcast of ISS experiments.
• Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages ISS as U.S. National Laboratory. SSEP National Partner providing support for student microgravity experiments aboard ISS.
• Subaru of America, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerU.S. National Partner on SSEP. Provides national partner support for the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program.
• Magellan AerospaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian National Partner on SSEP. Provides national partner support for international student spaceflight experiments.
• Tides CentercoreOthersNCESSE is fiscally sponsored by Tides Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Provides administrative and financial infrastructure for the organization.
• Exhibitology LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for Voyage National Program. Co-designed Voyage Mark II exhibition with NCESSE. Provides exhibition design and installation services.
• Big Kid ScienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Partner on Voyage National Program. Supports scale model solar system exhibition distribution to communities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Higher Orbits: Non-profit that runs student-designed spaceflight experiment programs, including microgravity experiments launched to the ISS via partner commercial providers — the closest direct analog to NCESSE's SSEP offering and target audience of grade-school through undergraduate student teams.
• Challenger Center: Non-profit network of Challenger Learning Centers delivering immersive space-themed STEM education experiences to K-12 students across the U.S. and internationally — comparable mission (space-inspired STEM literacy) and comparable non-profit, partner-funded operating model.
• Space Center Houston: Non-profit science and space exploration learning destination that delivers K-12 STEM education programs, summer camps, and educator professional development with a focus on authentic NASA mission content — comparable audience and mission of inspiring the next generation of STEM talent.

Broad incumbents

• Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS / ISS National Lab): The non-profit manager of the U.S. National Laboratory aboard the ISS; operates the Education and Outreach programs through which NCESSE's SSEP payloads are manifested. Overlaps directly with NCESSE on student microgravity research and STEM workforce development.
• NASA STEM Engagement: Federal STEM education programs (Next Gen STEM, Artemis Student Challenges, etc.) that similarly deliver authentic space-mission learning experiences to U.S. K-12 and college audiences and serve as both a partner and a comparator for NCESSE.

Others

• DreamUp PBC: Public-benefit corporation that books student and educational microgravity payloads on commercial access-to-space missions — an enabling partner to NCESSE for SSEP and a peer in the sense that it also sells 'fly your experiment' services to schools worldwide.
• NanoRacks (Voyager Space / Vast): Commercial provider of mini-laboratory hardware and ISS payload integration that supplies the MixStix-style experiment hardware and integration services for SSEP; comparable in being a vendor-and-program-enabler in the student microgravity experiment ecosystem.
• Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Federal museum that hosts the annual SSEP National Conference and serves as a national-partner venue; comparable in delivering space-themed public engagement and K-12 outreach complementary to NCESSE programs.
• Big Kid Science: Astronomy-education publisher and national partner on the Voyage National Program (which NCESSE administers); comparable as an education-focused organization developing space-science instructional materials for grades K-12.

Emerging players

• SciStarter: Non-profit affiliate of Arizona State University that connects the public to citizen-science and authentic research opportunities — overlaps with NCESSE's mission of giving students an authentic, rather than simulated, research experience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ncesse_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1H6vX6a6b5e5e5e5e5e5e
• Facebookfacebook.com/154802931208606
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-center-for-earth-and-space-science-education-ncesse-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Center for Earth and Space Science Education