International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS)

What International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS) does

International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and education institute founded in 2015 in Boulder, Colorado, that operates what it describes as the world's first Master of Science degree in Astronautical Science along with graduate certificates and individual professional courses in space environment, bioastronautics, space operations, flight test engineering, and microgravity sciences. Its curriculum blends asynchronous online instruction delivered through Moodle and GoTo with mandatory hands-on training campaigns at a network of partner facilities, including parabolic flight campaigns on a National Research Council of Canada Falcon-20 aircraft, a gravity-offset laboratory at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, FL, neutral buoyancy and post-landing labs at Survival Systems USA in Groton, CT, planetary field geology exercises at the NASA-analog San Francisco Volcanic Field near Flagstaff, AZ, and EVA testing with Final Frontier Design suits. The institute is governed by an Executive Director (Dr. Jason Reimuller) and a Board of Advisors chaired by former NASA Astronaut Winston Scott, with additional advisors including NASA astronauts and former NASA chief scientists.

IIAS generates revenue primarily through one-time course tuition fees ranging from $695 (EDU 501) to $7,500 (BIO 601), with advanced lab and campaign courses (EVA 601, OPS 601, AST 601) priced $5,000-$6,500 and bundled programs like OPS 601 + Egress Skills at $7,150; supplementary revenue comes from merchandise (Nomex flight suits at $250, name tags at $50) and tiered tax-deductible donations ($50 to $375+). It also runs commercial research flight programs, notably IIAS-01 (Galactic 05 with Virgin Galactic, completed 2023 with payload specialist Kellie Gerardi) and IIAS-02 (announced 2024, targeted 2026 with three payload specialists).

The customer base is globally distributed across 60+ countries and primarily consists of individual students and professionals seeking credentials for careers in astronautics, space medicine, flight testing, and commercial spaceflight; notable alumni include NASA astronaut candidate Deniz Burnham, orbital spaceflight participant Dr. Sian Proctor, and multiple Virgin Galactic researchers. Distribution combines direct online registration for the AST 101/501 prerequisite course with cross-branded offerings through the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). As of May 2025, IIAS holds State of Connecticut authorization to confer MS degrees and professional certificates.

Name

International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS)

Legal name

Integrated Spaceflight Services LLC

Website

https://astronauticsinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 in Boulder, Colorado that delivers the world's first Master of Science in Astronautical Science, graduate certificates, and professional courses in bioastronautics, EVA, space operations, and microgravity research, blending online instruction with hands-on campaigns at partner facilities for students from 60+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Space Education and Research Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Flight Training (611512), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Twins & Scenario-Based Systems Training (Equipment/Process Simulators) (EDAFAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Modeling, Simulation, Digital Twins & Mission Rehearsal Systems (IMABAOAL)

Keywords

• Space science education
• Astronautical research
• Suborbital flight training
• Microgravity research
• Spaceflight programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Course Tuition Fees: IIAS generates revenue primarily through tuition fees for graduate-level courses in astronautical sciences. Courses range from $695 to $7,500 per course, with bundled programs like OPS 601 with egress skills at $7,150.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of flight suits ($250) and name tags ($50) to students
3. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations supporting student subsidies and STEM outreach programs (PoSSUM 13, Out Astronaut, Space for All Nations). IIAS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IIAS is a nonprofit educational and research institute that delivers graduate-level academic programs, including the world's first Master's degree in Astronautical Science, along with graduate certificates and individual courses. The institute combines classroom-based instruction with hands-on research, parabolic microgravity flight campaigns, and suborbital astronautics training for students and space industry professionals.

Product overview

IIAS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational institution offering the world’s first Master’s degree in Astronautical Science along with graduate certificates and individual professional courses. The core educational platform consists of a distance-learning LMS (Moodle) combined with live instruction (GoTo) and hands-on campaigns at partner facilities. The product portfolio includes a foundational prerequisite course (AST 101/501), specialized graduate-level courses spanning space environment/aeronomy (AER 501, AER 601), bioastronautics/space medicine (BIO 501, BIO 601, EVA 501, EVA 502, EVA 601, EVA 602), planetary science (EVA 503), flight testing (FTE 501, FTE 502, FTE 503), space operations (OPS 502, OPS 503, OPS 601), and microgravity research (AST 601, EDU 501). Programs culminate in immersive on-site campaigns at partner facilities including Florida Tech, National Research Council of Canada, and Survival Systems USA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PoSSUM: Project PoSSUM (Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere) - citizen science astronautics program focused on noctilucent cloud research and suborbital science missions.
• OTTER

Products and services

• Master of Science in Astronautical Science
• Graduate Certificate Programs
• Individual Courses
• Suborbital Flight Training and Microgravity Research Campaigns
• IIAS Flight Suit and Branded Merchandise

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates include NASA astronaut candidate Deniz Burnham, orbital flight participant Dr. Sian Proctor, and multiple suborbital flight participants
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Canadian Space Agency (CSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEVA space suit evaluation and bioastronautics research conducted in collaboration with CSA. CSA provides flight opportunities and research support for IIAS students.
• National Research Council of Canada (NRC-CNRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIAS microgravity research, flight test engineering support, and IVA space suit evaluations conducted in partnership with NRC-CNRC. IIAS uses NRC Flight Research Lab in modified Falcon-20 aircraft for parabolic flight campaigns.
• Survival Systems USAcoreTechnology or IntegrationPost-landing egress and underwater EVA space suit evaluations conducted using IIAS neutral buoyancy and post-landing laboratory at Survival Systems USA in Groton, CT.
• Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIAS students trained at IIAS facilities located at Florida Tech in Melbourne, Florida. Facilities include gravity-offset laboratories, space flight simulation, and research aircraft.
• American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerIIAS Courses OPS 104, BIO 101, AER 101, EVA 101, and EVA 103 are cross-branded with AIAA. This partnership provides credibility and industry recognition for IIAS credentials.
• National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI)coreTechnology or IntegrationAll IIAS post-landing IVA and underwater EVA space suit evaluations are certified by NAUI, the SCUBA certification agency of NASA. Ensures professional standards for underwater training.
• FAA COE-CST (Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIAS is an Associate Member of FAA COE-CST, a partner for IIAS aeronomy, human factors, and space suit technology research for suborbital, orbital, and lunar operations.
• Final Frontier DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for EVA space suit test and evaluation methods. Students learn fundamentals of EVA space suit operations using Final Frontier Design suits tested in gravity-offset laboratory environments.
• Integrated Spaceflight ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIAS operates in conjunction with Integrated Spaceflight Services LLC, which provides flight operations support for parabolic flight campaigns and mission planning.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Test Pilot School: Civilian-equivalent institution offering graduate-level flight test engineering training for military, government, and industry test pilots. Direct functional competitor to IIAS's FTE 502/503 flight testing courses.
• Florida Institute of Technology: Private university offering MS programs in astronautical engineering, space systems, and spaceflight operations, and an active IIAS partner (IIAS maintains gravity-offset and simulation labs at Florida Tech's Melbourne campus). Overlaps with IIAS in aerospace graduate education and shared research infrastructure.
• University of North Dakota Space Studies: Offers MS and PhD in Space Studies covering human spaceflight, planetary science, and space engineering. Comparable to IIAS as a US institution with graduate-level, multidisciplinary space education aimed at working professionals.
• International Space University: Strasbourg-based graduate institution offering MS in Space Studies and Space Management, plus executive space training for an international student body. Closest direct competitor to IIAS in space-focused graduate education with a similar global, multidisciplinary approach.
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: A leading aeronautical university offering BS/MS programs in aerospace engineering, space physics, and commercial space operations. Directly comparable to IIAS in providing specialized higher education for the aviation and space industries, with Daytona Beach and Prescott campuses plus online delivery.
• Air Force Test Pilot School: Premier military institution for flight test engineering education, located at Edwards AFB. Comparable to IIAS's FTE 501/502/503 flight test engineering curriculum, particularly for the fixed-wing performance and stability/control testing tracks.

Others

• Final Frontier Design: Brooklyn-based company designing and manufacturing EVA spacesuits, and an IIAS core partner for EVA space suit test and evaluation courses (EVA 601). Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
• Canadian Space Agency: Government agency collaborating with IIAS on EVA space suit evaluation and bioastronautics research, and providing flight opportunities. Enabler and research partner rather than direct competitor.
• American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA): Professional society offering short courses, professional development, and certifications in aerospace; cross-brands multiple IIAS courses (OPS 502, BIO 501, AER 501, EVA 501, EVA 503). Ecosystem partner rather than competitor, but competes for continuing-education spend.

Regional players

• University of Surrey (Surrey Space Centre): UK institution with a leading small-satellite and space engineering research center offering postgraduate space programs. Comparable to IIAS in space-engineering graduate education but primarily serves European students rather than competing directly in IIAS's North American core.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/astronauticsinstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS)