DASEF

What DASEF does

DASEF (Delaware Aerospace Education Foundation) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1989, headquartered in Smyrna, Delaware, that delivers hands-on aerospace, space, and Earth science education to K-10 students, educators, scouts, and community groups across Delaware and the mid-Atlantic region. It operates a 40-acre leased campus in Big Oak Park that anchors a portfolio of specialized facilities: the LEED Silver-certified Environmental Outpost (housing classrooms and the STARLAB inflatable planetarium), the Mountjoy Observatory (housing a 16-inch Meade telescope and three Orion Newtonians, the second-largest telescope in Delaware), the Delaware Discovery Center (with Discovery Rooms seating 32-96, an Atrium for 250, a Balcony for 125, and a 30+ seat Theatre), and outdoor exhibits including the Galaxy Garden (third of its kind in the world), Planetary Walk, Marsh Walkway, and a DEOS-operated weather station. Flight simulators (Boeing and Elementary configurations) support academy cadet training.

The organization's core program is the Delaware Aerospace Academy, in operation since 1990, which serves grades 2-10 through Full Day ($400) and Overnight ($800) academies, the latter held at the University of Delaware's Clayton Hall. Surrounding programs include school field trips ($8/person, NGSS-aligned), school and library outreach (STARLAB, Earth Walk, Planet Earth globe delivered on-site for $8/student or $200 + travel), scout merit badge programs ($7-$45/scout in 2-hour to overnight formats), the Eyes on the Skies telescope viewing series ($5/person), monthly Destination: Explorations parent-child sessions ($7/person), and STEM-themed birthday parties ($300 for up to 20 children). The Delaware Discovery Center also generates rental revenue through its configurable meeting and event spaces, with a 10% discount for nonprofits.

DASEF's go-to-market is community- and partnership-led, reaching customers through school districts, the Delaware Division of Libraries, scout councils, and word-of-mouth from educators. Revenue is sourced from a diversified mix: program and academy fees, facility rentals, charitable donations and bequests, and grants from NASA (via Delaware Space Grant Consortium), the State of Delaware Legislature, USDA, and Delaware foundations, alongside corporate sponsorships from Bank of America, DuPont, ILC Dover, Delaware Electric Cooperative, and Painted Stave Distilling. The board includes retired executives from NASA Goddard, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, W.L. Gore, US Army RDECOM, DuPont, and Bank of America, anchoring institutional credibility.

Name

DASEF

Legal name

Delaware Aerospace Education Foundation

Website

https://dasef.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DASEF (Delaware Aerospace Education Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 that delivers hands-on aerospace, space, and Earth science education to K-10 students, schools, scouts, and community groups across Delaware from a 40-acre Smyrna campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Education Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

Keywords

• STEM education programs
• Aerospace academy programs
• Environmental education services
• Science field trips
• Educational facility rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Smyrna

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Academy Fees: Tuition fees for Delaware Aerospace Academy programs including Full Day academies ($400) and Overnight academies ($800), with $75 non-refundable application fee required to reserve space.
2. Program Fees: Fees for field trips ($8/person), school outreach ($8/student plus travel), library outreach ($200 plus travel), scout merit badge programs (varying by length), birthday parties ($300 for up to 20 children), and Explorations sessions ($7/person).
3. Facility Rentals: Rental revenue from Delaware Discovery Center rooms including Discovery Rooms (Single seats 32, Double seats 64, Triple seats 96), Atrium (capacity 250), Balcony (capacity 125), and Theatre (seats 30+). Amenities include mobile TVs and PA system.
4. Donations and Contributions: Charitable donations from individuals, annual pledges, memorial gifts, in-kind contributions, bequests, and planned giving. Tax ID: 51-0325362. Donation address: 5 Essex Drive, Bear, DE 19701.
5. Grants and Government Funding: Funding from NASA, Delaware Foundations, State of Delaware Legislature, Delaware Congressional Delegation, USDA, and other government sources for construction, exhibits, and programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DASEF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational foundation operating a 40-acre campus in Smyrna, Delaware, delivering hands-on STEM programming in aerospace, space science, and Earth/environmental sciences. It sells field trips, school and library outreach, scout merit badge workshops, summer academies, birthday parties, observatory/planetarium programs, and facility rentals to schools, youth organizations, and families.

Product overview

DASEF operates as a non-profit educational foundation offering a portfolio of STEM-focused programs centered around aerospace, space science, and environmental education. The core offerings include the Delaware Aerospace Academy (summer programs for grades 2-10 featuring flight simulators, rocketry, and space science), the Delaware Discovery Center facility (a 40-acre campus with interactive exhibits and event spaces), and the Environmental Outpost. Supporting programs include field trips, school outreach (featuring mobile STARLAB planetarium and Earth Walk), community programs (Eyes on the Skies observatory sessions, monthly Explorations, library outreach), scout merit badge programs, and STEM-themed birthday parties. The facility also features attractions including the Mountjoy Observatory (housing Delaware's second-largest telescope), the Galaxy Garden (a botanical representation of the Milky Way), and rentable Discovery Rooms and Atrium spaces for events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Delaware Discovery Center: A 40-acre facility for STEM education, environmental exploration, and community events and programs. Features rooms for rentals including Discovery Rooms (Single, Double, Triple), Atrium (capacity 250), Balcony (capacity 125), and Theatre.
• Delaware Aerospace Academy
• Environmental Outpost
• Mountjoy Observatory

Products and services

• Delaware Aerospace Academy

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 624,021 students, educators, and others served since 1989
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Delaware Division of LibrariescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelaware Libraries partner with DASEF to bring fun STEM programs to communities throughout the state. Programs are free and available through the library STEM organizer at guides.lib.de.us/stem.
• Delaware Electric CooperativesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelaware Electric Cooperative is a proud supporter of DASEF's efforts to educate and inspire students. The cooperative is a member-owned, not-for-profit utility serving 100,000 homes and businesses in Kent and Sussex Counties.
• Delaware Environmental Observing System (DEOS)coreTechnology or IntegrationDEOS at University of Delaware's College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment operates a real-time weather monitoring station at DASEF's Delaware Discovery Center. Station reports air temperature, humidity, wind, rainfall, solar radiation, soil conditions, and snow depth.
• Delaware Section of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIAA Delaware Section is title sponsor of Rockets for Delaware program and partner in Delaware Aerospace Academy. Inspires next generation of aerospace professionals. World's largest technical society dedicated to aerospace with 35,000+ members and 100 corporate members.
• Delaware Space Grant ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASA-funded program to train students and researchers in Delaware in STEM and geography. Helps contribute to the technically literate workforce NASA will need. Partners with DASEF for precollege and public education outreach.
• Delaware State University (CAOSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAOSS (Center for Applied Optics in Space Sciences) partners with DASEF as K-12 STEM Education Outreach Partner. Directed by Dr. Noureddine Melikechi. Funded by NASA award since October 2009. Offers 8-10 week summer program for high school students. CAOSS serves as focal point for NASA Center site visits.
• Galaxy Garden EnterprisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGalaxy Garden Enterprises partners with science centers and planetariums worldwide to bring cosmic perspective to people of Planet Earth. DASEF's Galaxy Garden is third of its kind in the world - a botanical representation of the Milky Way where every plant represents a portion of the galaxy.
• Georgia Institute of Technology: Low Frequency Radio LaboratorysupportingTechnology or IntegrationLF Radio Lab at Georgia Tech's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering partnered with DASEF to host a radio receiver for scientific purposes and educate K-12 groups about lightning physics and low frequency remote sensing. Activities funded by NSF grant to Georgia Tech.
• ILC DovercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILC Dover partners with DASEF in mission of creating opportunities for STEM learning for Delaware students. ILC Dover manufactures NASA's space suits and provides tentative presentations for Destination Orbit academy. ILC's vision is to be The World's Leader in Engineered Softgoods.
• National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Network)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNISE Network is a community of informal educators and scientists dedicated to supporting learning about STEM across the United States. DASEF participates in this network of informal STEM educators.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The Children's Museum of Indianapolis: World's largest children's museum featuring STEM, space, and natural science exhibits with extensive educational programming. Comparable mission to deliver hands-on science learning experiences to youth and families including space-themed offerings.
• Carnegie Science Center: Pittsburgh-based science center with planetarium, observatory, and STEM educational programming. Comparable multi-disciplinary science center model with K-12 outreach and family programming focus.
• Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex: NASA visitor complex offering space education programs, astronaut encounters, and STEM experiences. Operates at much larger scale but shares the space-focused informal education mission and tourism/event programming model.
• Space Center Houston: Official visitor center of NASA Johnson Space Center featuring space education exhibits and programming. Comparable science/space center educational mission but operates at much larger scale as a major regional destination.
• Franklin Institute: Philadelphia science museum and education center featuring interactive exhibits, planetarium, and STEM programs. Comparable science education mission with hands-on learning approach and similar mid-Atlantic regional footprint.
• National Air and Space Museum: Smithsonian museum dedicated to aerospace education with extensive exhibits, IMAX films, and educational programming. Major incumbent in the aerospace/STEM education space operating at national scale with formal school programming.

Direct peers

• Cosmosphere: Space museum and STEM education center in Hutchinson, Kansas featuring astronaut training simulators, space artifacts, and educational programs. Closely comparable model combining aerospace education with hands-on facility-based programming for K-12 and families.
• Challenger Center: National nonprofit that creates immersive STEM learning experiences centered on space exploration. Operates Challenger Learning Centers nationwide with a directly comparable mission to inspire students in STEM through hands-on aerospace-themed programming and field trip-style engagements.

Regional players

• Maryland Science Center: Baltimore-based science center with planetarium, observatory, and K-12 STEM programs. Operates in adjacent mid-Atlantic market with similar hands-on STEM educational programming for schools, families, and youth organizations.
• Delaware Museum of Nature and Science: Wilmington, Delaware-based natural history museum and science center offering exhibits and educational programming. Direct local peer operating in the same Delaware market with overlapping science and nature education offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/delaware-aerospace-education-foundation

Compliance1 record

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 DASEF