Moonshot Museum
Moonshot Museum is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit space museum and project of the Astrobotic Foundation that operates alongside a spacecraft-assembly clean room, delivering STEAM exhibits, planetarium shows, and career-readiness programs to K-12 students and families.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersPittsburgh, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Moonshot Museum does
Moonshot Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit science museum operating as a project of the Astrobotic Foundation. Founded in 2020 and opened to the public on October 15, 2022, it is Pennsylvania's first space museum and the first museum globally dedicated to space career readiness. The facility is co-located with Astrobotic Technology in Pittsburgh's North Side, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows into a spacecraft assembly clean room so visitors can observe real lunar lander construction during their visit. Exhibits combine interactive displays, a planetarium, VR/AR experiences, and student-designed lunar payload programs, with content centered on the Artemis-era commercial space industry and STEAM career pathways.
The organization serves K-12 students and families, with a pronounced emphasis on Title I schools and underrepresented groups in STEM. Programs include field trips, summer camps, scout programming, teacher professional development, and the NASA TEAM II-funded Appalachian career-readiness initiative targeting 93,000 students across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. The museum operates with 1-10 employees from a primary site at 1016 N. Lincoln Avenue and a Downtown Pittsburgh pop-up at 810 Penn Avenue, and runs roughly four public days per week plus scheduled group visits and private events.
Revenue is diversified across earned and contributed streams: admissions ($12 adult, $7 child), field-trip packages ($325-$475 per group), memberships, event rentals (starting at $500), summer camps, and grants from foundations, NASA, and corporate sponsors. Philanthropic support is anchored by the Richard King Mellon Foundation, with additional backing from Howmet Aerospace, Dollar Bank, and the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. Academic and industry partners include Astrobotic, NASA Glenn Research Center, Carnegie Mellon University, and the Keystone Space Collaborative.
Moonshot Museum firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Moonshot Museum
- Legal name
- Moonshot Museum
- Website
- https://moonshotmuseum.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Moonshot Museum is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit space museum and project of the Astrobotic Foundation that operates alongside a spacecraft-assembly clean room, delivering STEAM exhibits, planetarium shows, and career-readiness programs to K-12 students and families.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Moonshot Museum industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Space Museum
- NAICS
- Museums (712110), Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Space & Astronomy Programs (EDAMABAE)
Keywords
Where Moonshot Museum is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pittsburgh
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Moonshot Museum business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- General Admission Tickets: Visitors pay admission fees to access the museum and its exhibits during public hours. Adults $12, children 3-12 $7, children 2 and under free.
- Educational Field Trip Programs: Schools and groups pay for structured educational programs including Lunar Citizens Mission Experience ($475), Cosmic Careers ($350), and other STEAM educational offerings.
- Summer Camp Programs: Week-long immersive summer programs for elementary through high school students focused on space science and career exploration.
- Event Rentals: Venue rentals for corporate events, birthday parties, and evening events. Birthday party packages start at $500. Corporate and evening events for groups up to 150 people.
- Memberships: Subscription memberships offering free admission, shop discounts, event discounts, and reciprocal benefits at hundreds of museums globally.
- Donations: Tax-deductible donations to support innovative exhibitions, educational programs, and making space accessible for young people.
- NASA Grants: $800,000 NASA TEAM II grant funding Cosmic Careers: From the Earth to the Moon program serving students in grades 5-8 across Appalachian region over three years.
- Foundation Grants: Foundation funding including $500,000 from Richard King Mellon Foundation in 2020 and $300,000 in July 2022 for construction and operations.
- Lunar Simulation Lab Admissions: Separate ticketed access to downtown pop-up experience at 810 Penn Ave. Adults $12, children $7, full mission experience $20 for combined museum and lab access.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission - Adults |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission - Children |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | EBT/ACCESS Card Discount |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Lunar Citizens: Mission Experience Field Trip |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Space Now Showcase/Cosmic Careers Field Trip |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | From the Earth to the Moon! Field Trip |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Lunar Engineers Field Trip |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Mission to the Moon Assembly |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Hello Moon! Mobile Storytime |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Mission to the Moon Small Groups |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Cosmic Careers Field Trip |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lunar Simulation Lab Experience |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Birthday Party Packages |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | BIPOC In Space Event |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Women In Space Event |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Drafted to the Stars: Rooftop Social |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels8 records
Moonshot Museum product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Moonshot Museum operates an interactive space museum in Pittsburgh, PA featuring floor-to-ceiling windows into Astrobotic Technology's spacecraft assembly clean room where visitors watch real lunar landers and rovers under construction. The museum pairs this behind-the-scenes aerospace access with immersive simulated lunar missions, planetarium shows, hands-on STEAM exhibits, and structured educational programs designed to build career readiness for the contemporary space industry. It serves walk-in visitors, K-12 school groups, families, summer campers, corporate event clients, and underserved students across the Appalachian region through onsite, mobile, and virtual programming.
Product overview
Moonshot Museum operates as a single physical museum venue in Pittsburgh with an integrated portfolio of educational programs and experiences. The core offering is the museum itself, where visitors observe real lunar spacecraft being built and participate in simulated lunar missions. The product suite spans multiple tiers: in-museum experiences (Lunar Citizens, Cosmic Careers, From the Earth to the Moon!, Lunar Engineers), summer programming (Camp Moonshot), mobile/outreach offerings (Mobile Moonshot, Mission to the Moon assemblies, Hello Moon storytime), add-on experiences (Mission Boosters with 12+ individual activities), a downtown satellite location (Lunar Simulation Lab), virtual programs (Cosmic Careers 1 & 2, Moon Rangers, Earth Quest), special events (BIPOC In Space, Women In Space, Future Explorers Day), venue rentals, and memberships. A NASA-funded pathway program (Cosmic Careers: From the Earth to the Moon) extends reach across the Appalachian region. The museum also operates a retail shop and volunteer program.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Moonshot Museum General Admission Walk-in museum experience where visitors view real lunar spacecraft under active assembly through glass windows, participate in simulated lunar missions, and explore interactive exhibits highlighting space careers. Open Thursday-Sunday 10AM-5PM; adults $12, children 3-12 $7, under 2 free.
- Lunar Citizens: Mission Experience Flagship immersive team-building field trip program for middle and high school groups where students become citizens of a futuristic Moon base, designing rovers, mapping lunar resources, creating mission patches, and voting on a lunar charter. $475 for up to 30 students plus 4 chaperones.
Quantifiable outcome
- 10,000+ students engaged since opening
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Moonshot Museum
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Moonshot Museum technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature9 records
Moonshot Museum partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NASA TEAM II ProgramcoreNASA's Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions program selected Moonshot Museum as one of only four institutions nationwide to receive funding. $800,000 grant supports Cosmic Careers: From the Earth to the Moon program serving grades 5-8 students across Appalachian region (PA, OH, WV) over three years.
- Astrobotic TechnologycorePrimary strategic partner providing the unique clean room window access where visitors watch real lunar landers and rovers under construction. Astrobotic's spacecraft development including Griffin Lunar Lander for NASA's VIPER mission is visible through museum windows. Partnership enables real-time connection between museum experiences and actual space industry work.
- Carnegie Mellon UniversitycoreRegional collaborator in NASA's Cosmic Careers program helping connect classroom learning with real innovation and aerospace career pathways.
- Keystone Space CollaborativecoreRegional partner in NASA's Cosmic Careers program contributing to space sector workforce development and educational programming across the Appalachian region.
- Pittsburgh Downtown PartnershipminorPartnership for Lunar Simulation Lab pop-up activation in downtown Pittsburgh at 810 Penn Ave, launched alongside NFL Draft energy.
- Astrobotic FoundationcoreMoonshot Museum operates as a project of the Astrobotic Foundation, providing organizational structure and connection to Astrobotic's space industry work.
- Dollar BankminorGenerous supporter of Northside Neighbors Day event providing free admission preview day for Northside residents.
- Howmet AerospaceminorHowmet HoloLab named after sponsor, featuring interactive VR and AR experiences at Lunar Simulation Lab.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves8 records
Moonshot Museum competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Space Center Houston: Official visitor center of NASA Johnson Space Center offering space-themed exhibits, tram tours to active mission control, and educational programs. Closest comparable in combining real NASA/space-industry access with museum-style educational experiences.
- Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex: NASA-affiliated space visitor attraction in Florida offering immersive experiences, astronaut encounters, and educational programming. Comparable to Moonshot as a destination space-themed museum with STEAM curriculum tied to active space programs.
- Cosmosphere: Space museum and education complex in Kansas offering astronaut galleries, space camps, and STEM programming. Directly comparable as a regional science-focused space museum with strong educational programming and space camp offerings.
- Museum of Flight: Seattle-based air and space museum with extensive aircraft collection, space gallery, and educational programs. Comparable as a destination space museum offering STEAM field trips, summer camps, and immersive experiences.
- Intrepid Museum: New York City museum aboard the aircraft carrier Intrepid featuring aviation and space exhibits including the Space Shuttle Enterprise. Comparable as a visitor attraction combining experiential exhibits with STEAM education.
Regional players
- The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh children's museum offering hands-on STEAM learning for K-12 audiences. Regional competitor for family admissions, memberships, school field trips, and donor support within the Pittsburgh market.
- Carnegie Science Center: Pittsburgh-based science center offering hands-on exhibits, educational programming, and field trips. Regional peer competing for the same Pittsburgh K-12 field trip market, donor pool, and family visitation dollars.
Broad incumbents
- California Science Center: Large Los Angeles science museum featuring space shuttle Endeavour and broad STEM exhibits with educational programming. Broader incumbent in the science museum category at significantly larger scale.
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Flagship U.S. air and space museum in Washington, D.C. offering extensive artifact collections, IMAX theaters, and educational programming. Broad incumbent in the same category at vastly larger scale and brand recognition.
Emerging players
- Challenger Center: Nonprofit operating Challenger Learning Centers nationwide that deliver simulated space mission experiences for students. Highly comparable educational product overlap, particularly with Moonshot's Lunar Citizens Mission Experience and Lunar Simulation Lab.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Moonshot Museum social profiles
Digital presenceMoonshot Museum compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Moonshot Museum financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Moonshot Museum leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Moonshot Museum funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Moonshot Museum 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 Moonshot Museum
What does Moonshot Museum do?
Moonshot Museum operates an interactive space museum in Pittsburgh, PA featuring floor-to-ceiling windows into Astrobotic Technology's spacecraft assembly clean room where visitors watch real lunar landers and rovers under construction. The museum pairs this behind-the-scenes aerospace access with immersive simulated lunar missions, planetarium shows, hands-on STEAM exhibits, and structured educational programs designed to build career readiness for the contemporary space industry. It serves walk-in visitors, K-12 school groups, families, summer campers, corporate event clients, and underserved students across the Appalachian region through onsite, mobile, and virtual programming.
Is Moonshot Museum a public or private company?
Moonshot Museum is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Moonshot Museum founded?
Moonshot Museum was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Moonshot Museum based?
Moonshot Museum is headquartered in Pittsburgh, United States, in the North America region.
How does Moonshot Museum make money?
Nine revenue lines are on record. General Admission Tickets are the primary driver. The others are educational Field Trip Programs, summer Camp Programs, event Rentals, memberships, donations, NASA Grants, foundation Grants and lunar Simulation Lab Admissions.
Who are Moonshot Museum's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Space Center Houston, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Cosmosphere, Museum of Flight and Intrepid Museum. Regional players are The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Science Center. Broad incumbents are California Science Center and Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Challenger Center is listed as an emerging player.
Does Moonshot Museum have an API?
No public API is recorded for Moonshot Museum.
What industry is Moonshot Museum in?
Moonshot Museum's product category is Space Museum. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAD, Science & Technology Museums, with a secondary code of EDAMABAE, Space & Astronomy Programs. Its NAICS code is 712110 and its SIC code is 7900.