100 Year Starship
100 Year Starship is a Houston-based non-profit initiative, established in 2012 via a DARPA grant and led by Dr. Mae Jemison, that pursues the capabilities for human interstellar travel within a century through interdisciplinary research workshops, global symposia, educational programs, and community engagement initiatives.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersHouston, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What 100 Year Starship does
100 Year Starship is a Houston-based, privately held non-profit initiative established in 2012 following a $500,000 DARPA grant awarded to the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence. Led by former NASA astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison as Principal, the organization pursues the capabilities required for human interstellar travel within the next century while translating derived breakthroughs into Earth-based applications. It operates as a global collaborative effort rather than a commercial entity, convening an interdisciplinary network of scientists, engineers, artists, educators, and humanitarians through a portfolio of structured programs.
Its operational surface consists of research workshops (Crucibles, including a Virtual Human initiative focused on autonomous health systems for long-duration spaceflight), global conferences (Nexus Symposia), recognition programs (Canopus Awards for interstellar writing), public engagement platforms (LOOK UP One Sky; the Skyfie mobile app for capturing and sharing the sky), and educational publishing (the True Books children's series). Activities span 16 capability areas — energy generation, regenerative systems, navigation, sustainable agriculture, health infrastructure, equitable policy, education, and others — with documented operational geographies across the United States, Kenya, and Austria.
The revenue model is non-commercial. The initiative was seeded via a government grant and describes ongoing efforts to "galvanize public and private leadership and grassroots support" to fund interstellar research capabilities. No pricing, subscription, or licensing structure is publicly disclosed, and revenue figures are not reported. The organization employs 11-50 staff, with leadership including a Principal, Events & Logistics lead, Education Lead, and Financial Advisor. Customer "segments" are framed as constituencies — space enthusiasts, scientific researchers, educators, and students — rather than paying accounts.
100 Year Starship firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 100 Year Starship
- Legal name
- 100 Year Starship
- Website
- https://100yss.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- 100 Year Starship is a Houston-based non-profit initiative, established in 2012 via a DARPA grant and led by Dr. Mae Jemison, that pursues the capabilities for human interstellar travel within a century through interdisciplinary research workshops, global symposia, educational programs, and community engagement initiatives.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
100 Year Starship industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aerospace Research and Education
- NAICS
- Space Research and Technology (92711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Product & Innovation Summits (Roadmap, Launch Readiness, Innovation Days) (THAHAMAG)
Keywords
Where 100 Year Starship is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Houston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
100 Year Starship business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Government Grants: Initial establishment funded by DARPA grant; Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence won $500,000 DARPA grant in 2012 to establish 100 Year Starship.
- Public and Private Leadership Initiatives: Galvanizing public and private leadership and grassroots support to fund interstellar travel research capabilities.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
100 Year Starship product offering
Product offeringCore offering
100 Year Starship is a non-profit global collaborative initiative that pursues the scientific, technological, and societal capabilities required for human interstellar travel within the next century. It operates a portfolio of research programs (including the Virtual Human autonomous health systems initiative), convening events (Crucibles workshops and Nexus Symposia), recognition programs (Canopus Awards), and public engagement initiatives (LOOK UP One Sky, Skyfie app, True Books Series), while pursuing breakthrough applications that benefit life on Earth.
Product overview
100 Year Starship is an organization focused on achieving human interstellar flight within the next century. Its portfolio consists of research initiatives and public engagement programs: Crucibles (intensive workshops tackling critical disciplines like autonomous health systems), Nexus Symposia (global conferences), Canopus Awards (interstellar writing recognition), LOOK UP One Sky (global engagement initiative), True Books Series (children's educational content), the Skyfie mobile app (sky-sharing platform), and the Virtual Human research initiative (autonomous health systems for space travel). The organization also pursues initiatives across energy generation, social structures, regenerative systems, data management, navigation, health infrastructure, and sustainable agriculture.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Crucibles: Focused deep-dive workshops forging thoughts into reality to jump start critical new disciplines for interstellar travel.
- Nexus Symposia
- Canopus Awards
- LOOK UP One Sky
- Skyfie
- True Books Series
Products and services
- Skyfie App Mobile application that lets any user capture and share the sky above them, designed to promote inclusivity in space engagement. Targeted at general public, students, educators, and space enthusiasts globally.
- True Books Series Children's book series making space science accessible to young readers through educational publishing partnerships. Targeted at K-12 students, educators, and families seeking introductory space science content.
- Virtual Human System Research initiative developing a primarily autonomous system to optimize health, analyze and provide therapeutics, and recognize unexpected threats and opportunities for long-duration interstellar missions where Earth-based health infrastructure cannot be accessed. Targeted at aerospace researchers, mission planners, and policy stakeholders evaluating autonomous crew health systems.
Quantifiable outcome
- First interstellar conference held on African continent (Nairobi, Kenya 2023)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use 100 Year Starship
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
100 Year Starship technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
100 Year Starship partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Dorothy Jemison Foundation for ExcellencecoreLed by Dr. Mae Jemison, the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence won the $500,000 DARPA grant to establish 100 Year Starship in 2012. The foundation provides leadership and organizational infrastructure for the initiative.
- NASA Ames Research CentercoreNASA Ames Research Center partnered with DARPA on the 100 Year Starship study, contributing aerospace research expertise and institutional credibility to the interstellar initiative.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
100 Year Starship competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Space Frontier Foundation: Non-profit advocating for the opening of space frontier and human settlement. Comparable as a non-profit space advocacy organization focused on expanding humanity's presence beyond Earth through policy and public engagement.
- The Planetary Society: The largest non-profit space advocacy organization globally, co-founded by Carl Sagan. Directly comparable to 100 Year Starship as a non-profit initiative driving space exploration advocacy, public engagement, and member-funded research programs.
- Tau Zero Foundation: Non-profit focused on enabling interstellar flight through incremental, near-term propulsion research. Comparable as a non-profit research organization explicitly dedicated to interstellar travel capability development.
- Breakthrough Starshot: A $100M+ initiative funded by Yuri Milner to demonstrate light-driven spacecraft capable of reaching interstellar destinations. The most directly comparable interstellar-focused initiative, though with vastly greater capital.
- SETI Institute: Non-profit research organization dedicated to searching for extraterrestrial intelligence and advancing space science. Comparable as a privately funded non-profit pursuing ambitious long-horizon science goals with public engagement programs.
- Icarus Interstellar: Non-profit international organization dedicated to realizing interstellar flight, with a strong community and research project structure. Shares 100 Year Starship's mission of achieving interstellar travel through collaborative global effort.
Broad incumbents
- SpaceX: While commercial and far larger, SpaceX is pursuing Mars colonization and ultimately interplanetary travel. Comparable as a major player in deep-space travel ambitions, though with a fundamentally different for-profit model.
Emerging players
- BoldlyGo Institute: Non-profit space exploration organization pursuing astrobiology and near-Earth object missions. Partially comparable in structure and mission as a non-profit pursuing ambitious science-driven exploration with community engagement.
- Limitless Space Institute: Non-profit founded by former NASA astronaut Brian Greene-style leadership, focused on interstellar research and education. Comparable as a small, mission-driven non-profit pursuing interstellar travel with educational outreach.
Others
- NASA Ames Research Center: While a government agency rather than competitor, NASA Ames is a core partner and a key institutional actor in space research and interstellar conceptual work. Relevant as an enabling/ecosystem partner for 100 Year Starship's research outputs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
100 Year Starship social profiles
Digital presence100 Year Starship financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
100 Year Starship leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
100 Year Starship funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
100 Year Starship 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 100 Year Starship
What does 100 Year Starship do?
100 Year Starship is a non-profit global collaborative initiative that pursues the scientific, technological, and societal capabilities required for human interstellar travel within the next century. It operates a portfolio of research programs (including the Virtual Human autonomous health systems initiative), convening events (Crucibles workshops and Nexus Symposia), recognition programs (Canopus Awards), and public engagement initiatives (LOOK UP One Sky, Skyfie app, True Books Series), while pursuing breakthrough applications that benefit life on Earth.
Is 100 Year Starship a public or private company?
100 Year Starship is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was 100 Year Starship founded?
100 Year Starship was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is 100 Year Starship based?
100 Year Starship is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.
How does 100 Year Starship make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Government Grants are the primary driver. The others are public and Private Leadership Initiatives.
Who are 100 Year Starship's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Space Frontier Foundation, The Planetary Society, Tau Zero Foundation, Breakthrough Starshot, SETI Institute and Icarus Interstellar. SpaceX is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are BoldlyGo Institute and Limitless Space Institute. NASA Ames Research Center is listed as an others.
Does 100 Year Starship have an API?
No public API is recorded for 100 Year Starship.
What industry is 100 Year Starship in?
100 Year Starship's product category is Aerospace Research and Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAAAK, International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations, with a secondary code of THAHAMAG, Product & Innovation Summits (Roadmap, Launch Readiness, Innovation Days). Its NAICS code is 92711.