NearSpace Education
NearSpace Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers hands-on STEM and aerospace education — including balloon launches, CubeSat missions, and the Dream Big program — to K-12 students, homeschool families, and university teams across Indiana and the tri-state region.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersUpland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What NearSpace Education does
NearSpace Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2020 and headquartered in Upland, Indiana, that delivers hands-on STEM and aerospace education to K-12 students, homeschool families, and university teams. It was spun off from NearSpace Launch — a CubeSat manufacturer with a 100% mission success rate, 100+ satellites and 900+ subsystems in orbit since 2014 — and uses that flight-proven heritage as its core technology platform. Core offerings include day and overnight Space Camps, high-altitude balloon (HAB) launches reaching 87,000–90,000 ft, 1U–6U STEM CubeSats, an Aerospace Club, the NSE Expanse Program for homeschoolers, and the multi-phase Dream Big Program, which in March 2026 successfully deployed six student-built 0.5U ThinSat CubeSats to orbit aboard SpaceX Transporter-16 in partnership with six tri-state universities (Notre Dame, Taylor, Purdue Fort Wayne, Western Michigan, Valparaiso, Toledo). The organization operates a fully equipped STEM Makerspace (laser cutters, 3D printers, CNC, pick-and-place machines, microelectronics stations), a community Dream Big Park, and an upcoming Innovation Hub.
The business model is a hybrid of nonprofit program fees, donations, and institutional sponsorship. Revenue streams include day and overnight camp tuition, field trip and homeschool program fees, individual donations collected via Donorbox, and corporate/foundation sponsorships from NearSpace Launch, NASA, the Indiana Space Grant Consortium (INSGC), Avis, and Firefly. Programmatic delivery is in-person and on-site at the Upland headquarters, with Phase 2 statewide outreach events at five Indiana science museums and community sites; there is no digital product and no commercial B2B sales motion. Customers are segmented into K-12 students and educators (primary, 100+ schools served), university students and faculty (primary, six active partners), and homeschool families and museum-going community members (secondary). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on content marketing (blog, YouTube), organic social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram), podcast appearances, and the annual Dream Big Banquet.
The organization is actively expanding: Dream Big Phase 3 targets nationwide reach of 1,000,000 students with 150 HAB launches and 50 spacecraft, an Innovation Hub is coming soon, and the team is adding new university and museum partners. With 1-10 employees and no disclosed revenue, the organization is small, mission-driven, and reliant on continued grant and donor funding to scale beyond its Indiana operational base.
NearSpace Education firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NearSpace Education
- Legal name
- NearSpace Education
- Website
- https://nearspaceeducation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- NearSpace Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers hands-on STEM and aerospace education — including balloon launches, CubeSat missions, and the Dream Big program — to K-12 students, homeschool families, and university teams across Indiana and the tri-state region.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NearSpace Education industry classification
Industry- Product category
- STEM and Aerospace Education
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Technical and Trade Schools (61151), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Space & Astronomy Programs (EDAMABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Learning Commons & Study Space Operations (Quiet Study, Group Rooms, Reservations) (EDAEAGAH), Higher Education Course Design & Online Program Development (EDAGAKAB)
Keywords
Where NearSpace Education is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Upland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
NearSpace Education business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Space Camp and Program Fees: NearSpace Education charges fees for day and overnight space camps, field trips, homeschool programs (NSE Expanse Program), and aerospace club participation. Camps run for five weeks during summer, with day camps (Tuesday-Friday, 9am-3pm) and overnight camps (Monday-Friday). Homeschool credits are accepted for the Expanse Program.
- Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, NearSpace Education relies on donations and likely grant funding to support operations. The website prominently features 'Invest' and 'Support our Mission' links to donorbox.org, indicating active fundraising from individual donors and sponsors.
- Corporate and Foundation Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors (NearSpace Launch, Avis) and foundation sponsors (NASA, Indiana Space Grant Consortium) provide financial and in-kind support. NASA and INSGC logos appear as sponsors on the website.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
NearSpace Education product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NearSpace Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers hands-on aerospace and STEM education programs to K-12 students, homeschool families, and university partners through high-altitude balloon launches (~90,000 ft), student CubeSat missions, day and overnight space camps, an Aerospace Club, and a multi-phase Dream Big program that culminates in student-built satellites flying to orbit on SpaceX rideshare missions. Programs are delivered at the Upland, Indiana headquarters and STEM Makerspace and through partner universities and Indiana science museums.
Product overview
NearSpace Education offers a comprehensive suite of aerospace and STEM education programs centered around hands-on space technology experiences. The core offerings include High Altitude Balloon Launches reaching the stratosphere, STEM CubeSats (1U-6U) with 100% flight success rate, and the multi-phase Dream Big Program which provides students a pathway to orbit through university partnerships. Supporting programs include Day and Overnight Space Camps, an Aerospace Club, and the STEM Makerspace facility with advanced manufacturing equipment. The organization also offers Curriculum developed for teachers, the NSE Expanse Program for homeschoolers, and Field Trips. All programs follow the INSPIRE, EQUIP, IMPACT mission to develop the future STEM workforce through real space hardware experiences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Space Camps (Day and Overnight)
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 2,000 students engaged directly with spaceflight through the Dream Big program
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use NearSpace Education
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
NearSpace Education technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature9 records
NearSpace Education partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- NASAflagshipNASA supports the Dream Big program and ThinSat mission as a key partner alongside NearSpace Launch and Firefly. NASA's involvement validates the educational mission and connects NSE's curriculum with NASA educational materials used in the Dream Big: STEPS to Space program (Micro:bit curriculum aligned with NASA educational resources).
- FireflycoreFirefly is a commercial spaceflight partner supporting the Dream Big ThinSat mission alongside NearSpace Launch and NASA. Firefly's involvement provides the launch vehicle ecosystem for the Dream Big constellation.
- University of Notre DamecoreNotre Dame's IrishSat team developed the CHARMS (Control of Hardware Attitude using Reliable Magnetorquers Satellite) payload for Dream Big Phase 1. The satellite was successfully deployed via SpaceX Transporter-16 in March 2026.
- Taylor UniversitycoreTaylor University's SkyForge Core team developed an experimental radiation-tolerant computing system for Dream Big Phase 1. Taylor also hosted an eclipse viewing event and serves as a key university partner in the tri-state area.
- Purdue University Fort WaynecorePurdue Fort Wayne's Precision Flight Works team developed a low-cost aerosol-sensing payload for orbital climate monitoring aboard Dream Big Phase 1. Successfully deployed in March 2026.
- Western Michigan UniversitycoreWestern Michigan University's Western Aerospace team developed the WATS (Western Aerospace Thin-Sat) payload testing a novel electrospray propulsion system for future CubeSat missions. Successfully deployed via Dream Big Phase 1.
- Valparaiso UniversitycoreValparaiso University's Valparaiso Space Program developed the BCON-2 payload demonstrating improved nanosatellite communications using the SatNOGS Network. Includes ADCS tech from University of Luxembourg. Successfully deployed via Dream Big Phase 1.
- University of ToledocoreUniversity of Toledo leads the GLOBE Mission EARTH (GME) collaboration, developing an eighteen-band spectrometer and thermal infrared sensor payload to study harmful algal blooms and urban heat island effects, in partnership with three high schools. Successfully deployed via Dream Big Phase 1.
- Boston UniversityminorListed as a university partner on the NearSpace Education website. Extent of collaboration not detailed in available source material.
- University of ColoradominorListed as a university partner on the NearSpace Education website. Extent of collaboration not detailed in available source material.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)minorListed as a university partner on the NearSpace Education website. Extent of collaboration not detailed in available source material.
- Princeton UniversityminorListed as a university partner on the NearSpace Education website. Extent of collaboration not detailed in available source material.
- Science CentralcoreScience Central in Fort Wayne, Indiana is a Dream Big Phase 2 outreach partner, hosting high-altitude balloon launches and public STEM events. Also hosted eclipse viewing activities during the April 2024 solar eclipse.
- STARBASE Indiana – GarycoreSTARBASE Indiana in Gary is a Dream Big Phase 2 outreach partner, hosting high-altitude balloon launches and public STEM events to bring space exploration to students and families in the northwest Indiana community.
- Indiana State MuseumcoreThe Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis is a Dream Big Phase 2 outreach partner, hosting high-altitude balloon launches and public STEM events to engage Indianapolis-area students, families, and educators.
- Terre Haute Children's MuseumcoreThe Terre Haute Children's Museum is a Dream Big Phase 2 outreach partner, hosting high-altitude balloon launches and public STEM events to engage students and families in western Indiana.
- Angel Mounds State Historic SitecoreAngel Mounds State Historic Site in Evansville is a Dream Big Phase 2 outreach partner, hosting high-altitude balloon launches and public STEM events in southern Indiana to engage local communities in space exploration.
- SpaceXflagshipSpaceX's Transporter-16 rideshare mission launched all six Dream Big Phase 1 student-built ThinSat CubeSats into orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base aboard a Falcon 9 rocket in February 2026. All six satellites successfully established first contact.
- Purdue UniversitycorePurdue University partnered with NearSpace Education and NASA for the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. NSE launched two high-altitude weather balloons during the event, one carrying student experiments from the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
- Tactile EngineeringminorPartnered with NSE during the Indianapolis Motor Speedway eclipse event to create tactile experiences allowing visually impaired individuals to 'feel' the data being transmitted from the balloon as well as the progression of the eclipse.
- NearSpace LaunchcoreNearSpace Launch is the parent/sister company that spun off NearSpace Education in 2020. NSL is a CubeSat manufacturer with 100% mission success rate, 100+ satellites and 900+ subsystems in orbit since 2014. NSE integrates NSL's space technology into classrooms. NSL designs and manufactures the 0.5U ThinSat CubeSats used in the Dream Big program and provides flight heritage and technical support. The relationship is foundational to NSE's ability to provide every student with access to space.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
NearSpace Education competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ISS National Lab Education / DreamUp: Runs student-experiment programs that fly payloads to the International Space Station. Direct peer in mission-based student space STEM engagement, competing for similar educator and grant pools.
- Magnitude.io: Space-STEM education company (successor to Ardusat/ArduSat) that combines nanosatellite experiments with classroom curricula. Comparable offering profile to NSE's balloon-and-CubeSat classroom programs.
- Higher Orbits: Nonprofit running the 'Go4Launch' program that sends student-designed experiments to the International Space Station. Closest direct peer to NearSpace Education's Dream Big model: real space-mission-based K-12 and university STEM engagement.
- Challenger Center: National nonprofit operating space-themed learning centers and STEM simulations for K-12 students. Comparable nonprofit STEM-aerospace mission and K-12 student target audience.
Emerging players
- Sphero Education: STEM education division of Sphero offering programmable robots and curricula to K-12 schools. Comparable hands-on STEM maker/robotics positioning for K-12 audiences, though without an orbital-mission component.
- Uplift Aerospace: Commercial space company with a dedicated STEM/space-education and student-mission initiative. Comparable space-education mission overlap with NSE, though narrower K-12 footprint.
Broad incumbents
- FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): Large established K-12 STEM programs (FIRST Robotics, LEGO League) with deep school-district penetration nationwide. Competes for the same educator mindshare and after-school STEM budgets that NSE targets.
- NearSpace Launch: Sister/parent company and primary technology partner to NSE; CubeSat manufacturer with 100+ satellites in orbit. Not a direct competitor but the foundational commercial incumbent whose flight heritage underpins NSE's value proposition.
- STARBASE: DoD-affiliated STEM education program operating at multiple sites with hands-on science curricula for K-12 students. Overlapping audience (K-12 STEM enrichment) with substantially broader institutional backing than NSE.
- NASA STEM Engagement: NASA's K-12 and university STEM engagement portfolio, including curriculum, grants, and challenges. An incumbent funder/partner of NSE that also competes for the same educator attention and grant dollars.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
NearSpace Education social profiles
Digital presenceNearSpace Education financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NearSpace Education leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
NearSpace Education funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NearSpace Education 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 NearSpace Education
What does NearSpace Education do?
NearSpace Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers hands-on aerospace and STEM education programs to K-12 students, homeschool families, and university partners through high-altitude balloon launches (~90,000 ft), student CubeSat missions, day and overnight space camps, an Aerospace Club, and a multi-phase Dream Big program that culminates in student-built satellites flying to orbit on SpaceX rideshare missions. Programs are delivered at the Upland, Indiana headquarters and STEM Makerspace and through partner universities and Indiana science museums.
Is NearSpace Education a public or private company?
NearSpace Education is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was NearSpace Education founded?
NearSpace Education was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is NearSpace Education based?
NearSpace Education is headquartered in Upland, United States, in the North America region.
How does NearSpace Education make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Space Camp and Program Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations and Grants and corporate and Foundation Sponsorship.
Who are NearSpace Education's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ISS National Lab Education / DreamUp, Magnitude.io, Higher Orbits and Challenger Center. Emerging players are Sphero Education and Uplift Aerospace. Broad incumbents are FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), NearSpace Launch, STARBASE and NASA STEM Engagement.
Does NearSpace Education have an API?
No public API is recorded for NearSpace Education.
What industry is NearSpace Education in?
NearSpace Education's product category is STEM and Aerospace Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMABAE, Space & Astronomy Programs, with a secondary code of EDAEAGAH, Learning Commons & Study Space Operations (Quiet Study, Group Rooms, Reservations). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.