What Arizona Space Grant Consortium does

The Arizona Space Grant Consortium (AZSGC) is a NASA-funded statewide educational consortium established in 1989 under the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Project and led by the University of Arizona. It delivers STEM workforce development programs across a network of four major universities (U of A, ASU, NAU, Embry-Riddle), seven community colleges, and numerous research and industry affiliates throughout Arizona. Core programs include the ASCEND! high-altitude ballooning workforce program (62 flights since 2005 reaching ~100,000 feet), paid undergraduate internships at $16.50/hour, graduate fellowships offering $15,000 stipends plus full tuition (up to six per year), and the Space Industry Internship Program placing students with Arizona aerospace companies at $20/hour. The consortium also hosts the annual Statewide Student Research Symposium and maintains a NASA Opportunities portal connecting students to federal STEM pathways.

Funding flows from NASA through Cooperative Agreement 80NSSC25M7084, with additional in-kind support from member universities and industry partners. The "customers" are Arizona STEM students who receive stipends, tuition, and research experience at no cost; the effective "payer" is NASA. AZSGC operates with roughly 32 employees and supports 150+ internships annually. The organization is governed as a statewide consortium rather than a private entity, with leadership under Director Dr. Tim Swindle and Associate Directors at each member university. No revenue is publicly disclosed, and the consortium is not a commercial venture.

Name

Arizona Space Grant Consortium

Legal name

Arizona Space Grant Consortium

Website

https://spacegrant.arizona.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Arizona Space Grant Consortium is a NASA-funded statewide educational consortium led by the University of Arizona that delivers STEM workforce development programs—paid internships, graduate fellowships, and the ASCEND! high-altitude ballooning program—across four Arizona universities and multiple community colleges.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Education and Workforce Development

NAICS

Space Research and Technology (927110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Space & Astronomy Programs (EDAMABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

College & Career Exploration Camps (Pre-College Samplers, Pathways) (EDAMALAN), Academic Enrichment Camps (General Studies) (EDAMALAB)

Keywords

• STEM workforce development
• Space grant programs
• NASA internships fellowships
• Aerospace education research
• High-altitude ballooning

Headquarters

HQ city

Tucson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. NASA Cooperative Agreement Funding: Funded by NASA through cooperative agreement 80NSSC25M7084 as part of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Project. Provides internship stipends, fellowships, and program operations.
2. Student Stipends: Graduate fellowships include $15,000 stipend plus full tuition coverage ($5,000 from UA Graduate College, $5,000 from Space Grant, $5,000 from home department). Undergraduate internships pay $16.50/hour for U of A interns. Space Industry interns receive $20/hour paid by Space Grant.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Arizona Space Grant Consortium is a NASA-funded statewide educational consortium that provides paid STEM research internships, graduate fellowships with tuition coverage, and hands-on space mission programs to undergraduate and graduate students at Arizona universities. Programs are delivered through offices at University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, with the ASCEND! high-altitude ballooning program extending reach to community colleges. The consortium also connects students with Arizona space industry companies for paid industry internships and hosts an annual statewide research symposium.

Product overview

Arizona Space Grant Consortium is a NASA-funded educational consortium offering a portfolio of STEM workforce development programs across Arizona's universities. The core offerings include undergraduate internships at U of A, graduate fellowships with research and outreach tracks, a statewide Space Industry Internship connecting students with Arizona space companies, and the ASCEND! high-altitude ballooning program. The consortium also organizes the annual Statewide Student Research Symposium and maintains a NASA Opportunities portal. These programs work together to build Arizona's STEM workforce through hands-on research experiences aligned with NASA mission directorates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ASCEND!: Aerospace STEM Challenges to Educate New Discoverers - A statewide workforce development program involving undergraduate students in the design-build-fly-operate-analyze cycle of space missions using high-altitude weather balloons.

Products and services

• ASCEND! (Aerospace STEM Challenges to Educate New Discoverers) A statewide workforce development program involving undergraduate students in the design-build-fly-operate-analyze cycle of high-altitude balloon space missions; teams design and build payloads for launch on weather balloons reaching approximately 100,000 feet, collecting atmospheric data and near-space imagery. Delivered through 9+ Arizona institutions including community college affiliates with launch support from Arizona Near Space Research (ANSR).
• U of A Space Grant Undergraduate Internship Program A paid research internship program placing University of Arizona undergraduate students in research opportunities for up to 20 hours per week during the academic year, working alongside faculty mentors on NASA-aligned STEM research projects at $16.50/hour with a minimum 160 hours/year.
• U of A Graduate Fellowship Program A graduate fellowship providing up to six fellowships per year to STEM students at the University of Arizona, including a $15,000 stipend and full tuition coverage, with research and outreach track options. Funding is composed of $5,000 from UA Graduate College, $5,000 from Space Grant, and $5,000 from the home department.
• Space Industry Internship Program A statewide internship connecting Arizona undergraduate students with small to mid-sized companies in the space industry, offering $20/hour positions working 10 hours per week during Fall 2026 (14 weeks, 140 hours, $3,000) with optional Spring 2027 extension (19 weeks, 190 hours, $4,000). Industry partners include Cislune, Crow Industries, Howe Industries, Katalyst Space Technologies, Kutta Technologies, MJS Designs, Paragon Space Development, Qwaltec, and W5 Engineering.
• AZSGC Statewide Student Research Symposium An annual statewide event featuring student presentations from University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and community colleges, showcasing research completed by Space Grant interns, scholars, and ASCEND teams.
• NASA Opportunities Portal A gateway connecting students to NASA internships, fellowships, L'SPACE Program, Pathways Intern Program, NASA Challenges, and NASA job opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 150 internships awarded annually across Arizona
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

28 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1989AZSGC is part of The National Space Grant College and Fellowship Project established by Congress in 1989. Funded by NASA through cooperative agreement 80NSSC25M7084. Programs aligned with NASA Mission Directorates: Human Space Flight, Mission Support, Science, and Research and Technology.
• Central Arizona CollegesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity college affiliate (Signal Peak campus) participating in ASCEND program.
• Diné CollegesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerTribal college affiliate participating in Space Grant programs with representation at Tsaile campus.
• The University of ArizonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead institution hosting AZSGC headquarters, main office, and primary internship/fellowship programs. Located at Lunar and Planetary Laboratory.
• Arizona State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember institution with active Space Grant program office at School of Earth and Space Exploration. Offers undergraduate internships and participates in ASCEND ballooning and student research symposium.
• Northern Arizona UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember institution with Space Grant program office at Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science. Offers internships, fellowships, and NAU AEON outreach program.
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember institution at Prescott campus with Space Grant program in Mechanical Engineering Department. Hosts ERAU EagleSat project and ASCEND team.
• Arizona Near Space Research (ANSR)coreTechnology or IntegrationIndustrial affiliate providing high-altitude balloon launch and chase services for ASCEND program. Supplies flight tracking, parachute systems, and payload recovery operations.
• Arizona Western CollegesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity college affiliate participating in ASCEND high-altitude ballooning program with student design teams.
• Glendale Community CollegesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity college affiliate with active ASCEND team hosting regular launch events at GCC campus.
• Phoenix CollegesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity college affiliate with active ASCEND program team and faculty mentor Eddie Ong.
• Pima Community CollegesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity college affiliate (NW campus) participating in ASCEND high-altitude ballooning program.
• Tohono O'odham Community CollegesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerTribal community college affiliate participating in Space Grant programs.
• Casa Grande Union High SchoolsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigh school affiliate with participation in ASCEND program.
• Biosphere 2secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch affiliate with John Adams as Deputy Director and COO. Hosts Space Camp at Biosphere 2 (SCB2) program for Space Grant students.
• Planetary Science InstitutesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch affiliate with Amanda Hendrix as Director/CEO and Grace Wolf-Chase as Senior Scientist and Education specialist.
• Lowell ObservatorysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch affiliate with Nick Moskovitz as astronomer representative.
• Flandrau Science Center and PlanetariumsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutreach affiliate at University of Arizona with Bill Plant as contact. Hosts field trips and educational programs for Space Grant students.
• USGS Astrogeology Science CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch affiliate in Flagstaff with Tim Titus and Richard Vaughan as research scientists.
• Vera C. Rubin ObservatorysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch affiliate with Alan Strauss as Head of Education and Public Outreach.
• NewSpace at ASUsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerASU research affiliate with Scott Smas as Associate Director.
• Paragon Space Development CorporationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial affiliate with Grant Anderson as Chief Innovator. Hosts Space Industry interns working on life support systems and spacesuit technology.
• Rincon Research CorporationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial affiliate with Hilliard Page as Systems Engineer and Diana M. LaFoley as Interim CEO.
• USDA ARS Southwest Watershed Research CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch affiliate with Dr. Chandra Holifield Collins involved in mentorship programs.
• Department of Energy Legacy ManagementsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch affiliate with Angelita Denny coordinating Mentorship for Environmental Scholars Intern Program.
• ERAU STEM Outreach and PlanetariumsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutreach affiliate at Embry-Riddle Prescott with Tabitha King as STEM Outreach Manager and Eric Edelman as Planetarium Director.
• Mt. Lemmon Sky SchoolsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutreach affiliate (UA Sky School) with David Austin as Outreach Education Manager.
• Arizona Daily SunminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutreach affiliate with Chris Etling as Managing Editor.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Space Grant Foundation: The umbrella non-profit supporting all 52 state Space Grant consortia including AZSGC. Directly comparable as the coordinating body for the same federal program; AZSGC operates as one of its member consortia and receives payment processing through it.

Direct peers

• California Space Grant Consortium: Another state-level NASA Space Grant consortium under the same Congressional mandate and funding mechanism. Operates similar internship/fellowship/ASCEND-equivalent programs across California universities with comparable structure and STEM workforce mission.
• Texas Space Grant Consortium: Texas Space Grant Consortium is one of the larger state-level NASA Space Grant consortia with parallel programs (internships, fellowships, design challenge projects) operating across Texas universities with the same federal mandate and revenue model.
• Florida Space Grant Consortium: Florida Space Grant Consortium is a direct peer operating under the same NASA Space Grant program, hosting NASA-aligned student internships, fellowships, and STEM outreach across Florida's universities including UCF, UF, and FAMU.
• Colorado Space Grant Consortium: Colorado Space Grant Consortium (based at CU Boulder) is a direct peer running parallel NASA-funded programs including high-altitude balloon and rocket programs at Colorado universities—most directly comparable to AZSGC's ASCEND! program.
• Maryland Space Grant Consortium: Maryland Space Grant Consortium operates as a peer state-level consortium under the NASA Space Grant program, with comparable STEM workforce programs anchored at University of Maryland—serving a similar-sized state university system.
• Virginia Space Grant Consortium: Virginia Space Grant Consortium is a peer under the same NASA Space Grant structure, running parallel STEM internships, fellowships, and K-12 outreach across Virginia universities and community colleges with similar programmatic model.

Others

• New Mexico Space Grant Consortium:
• Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS): SEDS is a global student-run nonprofit supporting university chapters focused on space projects and careers—the University of Arizona SEDS chapter is an AZSGC partner. Comparable mission of student space workforce development, though chapter-based and volunteer-run rather than federally funded.

Emerging players

• Higher Orbits Foundation: Higher Orbits is a non-profit running experiential space STEM programs (Go For Launch!) for high school and college students—comparable to AZSGC's ASCEND! in using hands-on space mission experiences to inspire STEM engagement, though smaller and non-NASA funded.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/azspacegrant
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/az-space-grant
• Instagraminstagram.com/AZSpaceGrant

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Arizona Space Grant Consortium