Planetary Science Institute
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1972
- HeadquartersTucson, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Planetary Science Institute firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Planetary Science Institute
- Legal name
- Planetary Science Institute
- Website
- https://psi.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1972
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Planetary Science Institute industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Planetary Science Research Services
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR) (IMABACAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAK)
Keywords
Where Planetary Science Institute is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tucson
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Planetary Science Institute business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- NASA and Government Grants: PSI scientists are involved in numerous NASA and international missions, funded through research grants and contracts from NASA, NSF, and other government agencies
- Science Services: Science services including data archiving (PDS Asteroid/Dust Subnode) and technical services provided to space missions
- Donations and Membership: Donations from the public and members to support research and education missions
- Education and Public Outreach: Education programs, classroom visits, workshops, internships, and docent programs for educators and students
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Planetary Science Institute product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Planetary Science Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research corporation that conducts scientific research on planetary systems, develops and operates scientific instruments for space missions, archives planetary data, and delivers education and public outreach programs. It participates in NASA and international missions (Perseverance, Europa Clipper, Juno, Dawn, Hayabusa2, Mars Express) through grants and contracts, and offers citizen science platforms (CosmoQuest, JunoCam), research instruments (IoIO telescope), and data services (PDS Asteroid/Dust Subnode).
Product overview
The Planetary Science Institute is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) research corporation dedicated to scientific discovery and public education in planetary science. PSI does not offer commercial software products; rather, it provides citizen science platforms (CosmoQuest, JunoCam, Zooniverse partnerships), operates research instruments (IoIO telescope), and develops research tools (Coma Factory for cometary analysis). These offerings support PSI's core mission to study planetary systems, enable public engagement in space science, and advance understanding of the Solar System.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CosmoQuest Citizen science platform hosted by PSI that enables members of the public to participate in planetary science research, supporting Community Science initiatives.
- JunoCam Public Engagement Camera PSI-led public engagement camera on NASA's Juno mission that enables citizen scientists to contribute to image processing and exploration of Jupiter.
- Io Input/Output Observatory (IoIO) Small research telescope designed and operated by PSI to study how gas from Jupiter's moon Io moves into and out of the space around Jupiter, supporting ongoing planetary science observation and education activities.
- Coma Factory Web-based facility hosted by PSI for enhancing and analyzing coma images of comets, supporting research on cometary nuclei and coma structures.
- PDS Asteroid/Dust Subnode NASA Planetary Data System archive node hosted by PSI for asteroid and dust small bodies, providing data archiving and management services to planetary science researchers.
- Education and Public Outreach Program PSI's education and public outreach program offering classroom visits, teacher workshops (STEMAZing Solar System Exploration), the PSI Docent Program, internships, and educational resources for K-12 schools and educators.
- Planetary Partners Membership Program Membership program through which individuals join PSI as Planetary Partners to support its planetary science research and education mission.
Companies that use Planetary Science Institute
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Planetary Science Institute technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Planetary Science Institute partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NASAcorePSI scientists are involved in numerous NASA missions including Perseverance rover, Europa Clipper, Juno, Dawn, and Mars Express. PSI serves as institutional PI for various NASA science investigations and receives significant research funding through NASA grants and contracts.
- ESA (European Space Agency)corePSI scientist William Hartmann serves on the imaging team of the European Mars Express mission. PSI scientists participate in ESA missions studying planetary bodies.
- SETI InstituteminorCollaborative partner on various planetary science projects including lunar crater counting research
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratorycoreExternal partner on technology development for ocean worlds life detection (STI Tech project)
- Southwest Research InstituteminorExternal partner on Europa ice shell evolution project
- International Space Science InstituteminorPSI scientist William Hartmann conducts research at ISSI in Bern, Switzerland
- JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)corePSI research scientist Paul Abell part of JAXA's Hayabusa mission ground recovery operation and near infrared spectrometer team for asteroid sample return
- ZooniversecorePSI is a founding partner in Zooniverse, the world's largest platform for citizen science, hosting over 200 research initiatives including the Milky Way Project
- NASA Planetary Data System Small Bodies NodecorePSI hosts the PDS Asteroid/Dust Subnode for archiving and managing planetary science data
- Los Alamos National LaboratorycoreGRaND instrument for Dawn mission built by Los Alamos National Laboratory under PSI Senior Scientist Tom Prettyman's direction
- Korea Aerospace Research InstituteminorPSI scientist Naoyuki Yamashita works on KPLO (Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter) Gamma-Ray Spectrometer
- Jet Propulsion LaboratorycoreMultiple collaborations with JPL on missions including Dawn (managed by JPL), Europa Clipper, and other NASA missions
- University of ArizonacoreClose partnership with University of Arizona; PSI headquarters in Tucson; multiple joint research projects and personnel shared
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Planetary Science Institute competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Planetary Society: Largest nonprofit space-advocacy and education organization focused on planetary exploration. Overlaps with PSI on public engagement, education programs, and citizen science, though it does not conduct instrument PI work.
- Southwest Research Institute (SwRI): Large independent nonprofit applied research institute with a significant space science division that builds instruments and leads planetary missions (e.g., New Horizons, Juno). PSI is already a partner and competes/collaborates with SwRI's Boulder office on instrument PIs.
- Carnegie Institution for Science: Private nonprofit scientific research organization with departments in Earth and planetary science (e.g., Carnegie Earth & Planets Laboratory). Similar independent, endowment- and grant-funded model for fundamental planetary research.
- Universities Space Research Association (USRA): Nonprofit consortium of universities operating NASA-affiliated research institutes and programs (including LPI). Comparable as a nonprofit-governed entity that channels NASA funding to planetary science researchers.
- Space Science Institute: Boulder, CO-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization with a distributed-scientist model similar to PSI, conducting planetary, astrobiology, and space physics research with NASA and NSF funding.
- SETI Institute: Independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit research institute focused on astrobiology, exoplanets, and planetary science. Listed as an existing PSI partner and is the closest comparable in mission, funding model, and distributed-scientist structure.
- Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI): USRA-managed nonprofit research institute in Houston supporting NASA lunar and planetary science, hosting conferences and visiting scientists. Highly comparable to PSI in scope, mission, and funding mix.
Others
- Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory: Long-established research institution conducting planetary and astrophysics research, with public engagement programs and data archives analogous to PSI's PDS role. Comparable as a mission-driven public-facing science institute.
Broad incumbents
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL): NASA's flagship planetary exploration center, managing missions like Europa Clipper and Dawn (with PSI participation). Functions as both a competitor for grants and a prime contractor with which PSI collaborates on instruments and science teams.
- Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL): Large university-affiliated R&D center that builds and operates planetary spacecraft and instruments. Listed as an active PSI partner on ocean-worlds life-detection work; competes with and complements PSI on mission science teams.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Planetary Science Institute social profiles
Digital presencePlanetary Science Institute financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Planetary Science Institute leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Planetary Science Institute funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Planetary Science Institute M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Planetary Science Institute
What does Planetary Science Institute do?
Planetary Science Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research corporation that conducts scientific research on planetary systems, develops and operates scientific instruments for space missions, archives planetary data, and delivers education and public outreach programs. It participates in NASA and international missions (Perseverance, Europa Clipper, Juno, Dawn, Hayabusa2, Mars Express) through grants and contracts, and offers citizen science platforms (CosmoQuest, JunoCam), research instruments (IoIO telescope), and data services (PDS Asteroid/Dust Subnode).
Is Planetary Science Institute a public or private company?
Planetary Science Institute is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Planetary Science Institute founded?
Planetary Science Institute was founded in 1972. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Planetary Science Institute based?
Planetary Science Institute is headquartered in Tucson, United States, in the North America region.
How does Planetary Science Institute make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. NASA and Government Grants are the primary driver. The others are science Services, donations and Membership and education and Public Outreach.
Who are Planetary Science Institute's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Planetary Society, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), Carnegie Institution for Science, Universities Space Research Association (USRA), Space Science Institute, SETI Institute and Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI). Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL).
Does Planetary Science Institute have an API?
No public API is recorded for Planetary Science Institute.
What industry is Planetary Science Institute in?
Planetary Science Institute's product category is Planetary Science Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABACAD, Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR), with a secondary code of BPADAAAK, International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations. Its NAICS code is 5417 and its SIC code is 8731.