The MILO Space Science Institute

What The MILO Space Science Institute does

The MILO Space Science Institute is a non-profit, university-affiliated space science organization headquartered at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, established in partnership with Lockheed Martin to lower the cost of entry to space exploration through university-led missions and shared infrastructure. It operates two complementary lines of activity: space exploration — anchored by the Luna Ride lunar science rideshare mission and the Apophis Pathfinder dual-spacecraft asteroid flyby mission, both delivered under an infrastructure-as-a-service model that bundles transportation, communications, survivability, and payload deployment — and capacity-building programs (Milo Mission Academy, Space Works Internship, Planet Earth Workshop, and the Space Payload Challenge) that train students and early-career professionals in the space mission lifecycle. Underlying technology draws on ASU's space heritage, including the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES), Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), and Mini-TES instruments, and is delivered through 40+ ASU instrument facilities and laboratories, 25+ active space missions, and a network of 300+ university-wide space investigators and 120+ industry partners.

The institute's business model combines sponsored/contributed mission infrastructure, fee-based training (notably the AU$550-per-participant Mission Academy for Lunar Exploration in Australia/New Zealand and a semester-long Mission Academy domestically), space instrumentation sales via the ASU Space Services Group, and program sponsorship through strategic partners such as AROSE, the NASA L'SPACE Program, and Siemens. Customer segments span national governments and emerging space agencies seeking affordable access to lunar surface and asteroid missions, university and TAFE students, early-career professionals, and entrepreneurs/executives leveraging space-enabled data; delivery channels include direct enterprise engagement for missions, the channel-reseller model with AROSE for Asia-Pacific training, and challenge-based programs like the Space Payload Challenge. Because the institute is a non-profit under ASU rather than a venture-backed entity, no external funding rounds are disclosed, and revenue visibility is limited.

Name

The MILO Space Science Institute

Legal name

The Milo Space Science Institute

Website

https://miloinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The MILO Space Science Institute is a non-profit Arizona State University affiliate, partnered with Lockheed Martin, that provides affordable access to space science through university-led missions (Luna Ride lunar rideshare, Apophis Pathfinder asteroid flyby) and STEM workforce-training programs such as the Mission Academy for international students and professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Space Science Education and Mission Services

NAICS

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Space Research and Technology (92711)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Space Logistics & In-Orbit Servicing (Refueling, Tug, Debris Removal) (IMABACAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Space & Astronomy Programs (EDAMABAE), International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAK)

Keywords

• Space science education
• STEM workforce training
• Lunar exploration services
• Space mission programs
• Planetary science research

Headquarters

HQ city

Tempe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Space Infrastructure as a Service: Members pay a fraction of total mission cost to access bundled space infrastructure including launch, landing, transportation, communication, and payload deployment. Cost savings realized through ride-sharing model and economies of scale.
2. Mission Academy Training Programs: 12-week STEM workforce development programs offered virtually. AU$550 per participant for the Australia Mission Academy for Lunar Exploration. Semester-long course provides experiential education in space mission lifecycle.
3. Space Instrumentation Sales: Complete instruments may be purchased from the ASU space services group. Provides access to complete instruments developed using ASU facilities and expertise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Milo Space Science Institute organizes and conducts innovative space science and exploration missions while providing capacity-building programs to develop the global space workforce. It offers university-led missions such as Luna Ride (lunar science rideshare) and Apophis Pathfinder (asteroid flyby) on an infrastructure-as-a-service basis, alongside training programs including the Milo Mission Academy, Space Works Internship, Planet Earth Workshop, and Space Payload Challenge. The institute bundles launch, landing, transportation, communication, and payload deployment into cost-shared mission participation accessible to international partners.

Product overview

The MILO Space Science Institute is a space science and exploration organization affiliated with Arizona State University that provides a portfolio of capacity building programs and mission services. The Institute offers educational programs including the Milo Mission Academy (with specialized tracks for Climate Action/Earth Science and Lunar Exploration), Space Works Internship, Planet Earth Workshop, and Space Payload Challenge. Mission services include the Luna Ride lunar science rideshare service and Apophis Pathfinder asteroid flyby mission. These offerings are connected through an infrastructure-as-a-service model designed to make space exploration affordable and accessible to international partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Milo Mission Academy: A semester-long course providing hands-on learning about space mission life cycle, designed to eradicate barriers to STEM workforce development.
• Space Works Internship
• Planet Earth Workshop
• Space Payload Challenge
• Milo Mission Academy for Lunar Exploration
• Mission Academy for Climate Action and Earth Science

Products and services

• Milo Mission Academy A hands-on STEM workforce development program providing experiential education about the space mission lifecycle through team-based projects, modeled after NASA's L'SPACE Program. Designed to eradicate barriers to STEM workforce development and grow local space ecosystems.
• Mission Academy for Lunar Exploration A 12-week virtual STEM workforce development program for Australian and New Zealand TAFE and university students and early career professionals that provides understanding of the space mission life cycle, including lunar mission planning, science instrumentation, and concept of operations. AU$550 per participant.
• Mission Academy for Climate Action and Earth Science An academic program that equips students with expertise in remote sensing to create cutting-edge applications using satellite data to address challenges on Earth, including monitoring natural resources and land use.
• Space Works Internship An immersive program for graduate students and early career professionals that provides hands-on experience in space instrument development lifecycle including project design, fabrication, digital engineering, additive manufacturing, testing, and project management at ASU facilities.
• Planet Earth Workshop An 8-week training program for entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals that teaches leveraging space-enabled scientific data and remote sensing to transform terrestrial business models, covering space entrepreneurship, strategic thinking, and innovation sprints.
• Space Payload Challenge A challenge-based program following the Grand Challenge model that leads teams through an innovative process to rapidly develop prototypes demonstrating critical functionality for space missions, incorporating Artemis Science Goals and international consensus study report science goals.
• Luna Ride A lunar science rideshare mission service that provides international partners with transportation, communication, survivability support, and deployment of payloads onto the lunar surface, using an infrastructure-as-a-service model to reduce participation costs. Includes Lunar Terrain Vehicle capabilities.
• Apophis Pathfinder A dedicated mission designed to perform the first-ever close flyby of asteroid (99942) Apophis, using small spacecraft to provide reconnaissance data including mass, density, shape, geology, composition, and orbit parameters to inform planetary defense strategies and 2029 flyby planning.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cost reduction through ride-sharing model and economies of scale enables fraction-of-total-mission-cost participation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Lockheed MartincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASU and Lockheed Martin partnership driving the Milo Institute. Lockheed Martin has supported every NASA mission to Mars and contributed technology to numerous robotic missions exploring the solar system. Combined legacy provides experience supporting Milo Institute objectives in space science and exploration missions.
• AROSE (Australian Remote Operations in Space)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAROSE sponsors the Milo Mission Academy for Lunar Exploration for college/university students and early career professionals from Australia and New Zealand. Partnership enables career pathways in the expanding space economy for Australian and New Zealand participants.
• NASA L'SPACE ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilo Institute partnered with NASA L'SPACE Program team to deploy the Milo Mission Academy for international partners. Mission Academy is modeled after the successful NASA-sponsored L'SPACE Program that has empowered thousands of STEM students with industry-standard processes and procedures.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• International Space University (ISU): Non-profit interdisciplinary university providing graduate-level space education and professional development programs globally. Shares Milo's capacity-building mission for early-career space professionals and emerging space nations.
• Planetary Society: Non-profit space advocacy and science organization that funds and supports space missions while conducting public outreach. Comparable in non-profit space science mission focus and international cooperation angle.
• SETI Institute: Non-profit research organization conducting space science research and astrobiology, with affiliated educational and public outreach programs. Comparable as a university-affiliated non-profit space science research institute.

Direct peers

• Intuitive Machines: Houston-based space company providing lunar lander services (Nova-C) and payload delivery under NASA's CLPS program. Targets many of the same international and commercial customers with competing rideshare economics to the lunar surface.
• NASA L'SPACE Program: NASA-sponsored workforce development program at ASU providing hands-on space mission training to STEM students. Directly comparable to Milo's Mission Academy curriculum, which is itself modeled on L'SPACE, creating a clear overlap in target audience and educational content.
• Firefly Aerospace: U.S. small launch and lunar lander provider offering the Blue Ghost lunar lander and Alpha launch vehicle. Provides competing rideshare and lunar payload services to commercial and government customers similar to Milo's Luna Ride offering.
• Astrobotic Technology: Commercial lunar lander and payload delivery services company offering rideshare access to the lunar surface through its Peregrine and Griffin landers. Directly competes with Milo's Luna Ride on the same customer need (affordable payload delivery to the Moon) for international and commercial partners.
• ispace: Japanese lunar exploration company developing small lunar landers (HAKUTO-R) for payload delivery and rideshare services. Competes with Milo's Luna Ride in the international lunar access market and shares a similar mission of broadening access to lunar surface.
• AROSE (Australian Remote Operations in Space): Australian non-profit consortium delivering space industry capability programs and workforce development. Direct partner but also a peer offering comparable capacity-building and remote operations education in the same geographic market.

Broad incumbents

• Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI): University-affiliated (Johns Hopkins) research institute operating flagship space science missions (Hubble, JWST). Shares Milo's university-led space science mission model and instrument/scientific operations heritage.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MILOInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/themiloinstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The MILO Space Science Institute