The Aldrin Family Foundation Inc

What The Aldrin Family Foundation Inc does

The Aldrin Family Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in the 1990s by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, headquartered in Melbourne, Florida. The foundation delivers K-12 STEAM-based educational tools, curriculum, and programs with a space exploration theme to students, educators, and school districts. Its portfolio centers on five core offerings: the trademarked Giant Moon Map and Giant Mars Map (floor-sized, 33ft x 15ft interactive maps built from real NASA imagery); the Student Satellites in Space (S-Cubed) two-year workforce development program for high school students that culminates in real satellite launches via the International Space Station; the Rockets & Rovers Summer Camp for middle school students; the Space Curriculum Collaborative, an annual 4-day educator professional development workshop hosted at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex; and the AFF Ambassador Program, a volunteer community of 150+ K-12 educators. Dr. Andy Aldrin (Andrew Aldrin) serves as President & CEO, with Buzz Aldrin as Founder.

The foundation's business model is multi-stream and nonprofit-structured. Revenue sources include charitable donations, government grants (most notably a $4.7M Texas Space Commission grant awarded in 2025), direct sales of Giant Maps through the foundation's website (with donation options for under-resourced schools), and fees from Rockets & Rovers Summer Camp implementations in school districts. Distribution is institutional: the foundation partners directly with school districts (30 districts in Texas for S-Cubed), sells curriculum packages through its website, delivers educator workshops at Kennedy Space Center, and deploys programs via a 150+ educator Ambassador volunteer network. Geographic reach spans 49 U.S. states and 20 countries, with an Australian expansion launched in 2025 in partnership with University of Sydney and the NSW Department of Education.

The foundation operates with 1-10 employees and has reached over 500,000 students globally. Reported program outcomes include 83% of summer camp students learning about future STEM careers, 75% reporting increased STEM confidence, and 30% showing increased interest in STEM careers after Giant Map engagement. The foundation is governed as a Florida-incorporated nonprofit without parent-company ownership, and its Texas operations are administered through a wholly-owned subsidiary, Aldrin Family Foundation of Texas, established to deploy the S-Cubed program statewide.

Name

The Aldrin Family Foundation Inc

Legal name

Aldrin Family Foundation

Website

https://aldrinfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Aldrin Family Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin that delivers K-12 STEAM educational tools, curriculum, and space-themed programs to students, teachers, and school districts across 49 U.S. states and 20 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 STEAM Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Space & Astronomy Programs (EDAMABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Robotics, Engineering & Makers Camps (EDAMALAE), College & Career Exploration Camps (Pre-College Samplers, Pathways) (EDAMALAN), Curriculum, Lesson Planning & Instructional Content Platforms (EDAJAMAD)

Keywords

• K-12 STEAM education
• Space curriculum programs
• Educational nonprofit services
• STEM workforce development
• Educator professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the foundation relies on charitable donations from individuals and organizations to fund educational programs
2. Government Grants: Major funding from government sources including a $4.7 million grant from the Texas Space Commission to bring S-Cubed program to Texas schools over five years
3. Giant Maps Sales: Sale of Giant Moon and Mars Maps to schools and districts, with donation options available for schools that cannot afford purchasing
4. Summer Camp Programs: Revenue from Rockets & Rovers Summer Camp programs implemented in schools and school districts, with pricing based on camp length, units selected, and number of students

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Aldrin Family Foundation develops and delivers K-12 STEAM-based educational tools, curriculum, and programs centered on space exploration. Its primary offerings include proprietary Giant Moon and Mars Maps (33ft x 15ft interactive maps built from real NASA imagery), the Rockets & Rovers Summer Camp for middle schoolers, the S-Cubed two-year satellite engineering program for high schoolers, and the Space Curriculum Collaborative educator professional development workshop held at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Product overview

The Aldrin Family Foundation offers a portfolio of K-12 STEAM-based educational programs focused on space exploration. The core offerings include the Giant Moon Map™ and Giant Mars Map™ (large floor-sized interactive maps for classroom exploration), paired with experiential programs like Rockets & Rovers Summer Camp™ for middle school students and Student Satellites in Space (S-Cubed) for high school students. Educator support is provided through the Space Curriculum Collaborative™ (annual professional development workshops at Kennedy Space Center) and the AFF Ambassador Program (a volunteer network of space educators).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Giant Moon and Mars Maps™: K-12 hands-on educational tools featuring giant floor-sized maps of the Moon and Mars for classroom use
• Rockets & Rovers Summer Camp™
• Student Satellites in Space (S-Cubed)
• Space Curriculum Collaborative™ (SCC)
• AFF Ambassador Program
• Aldrin Family Foundation of Texas

Products and services

• Giant Moon Map™ A floor-sized (33 feet x 15 feet) interactive map of the Moon made from real lunar imagery, allowing students to walk across craters, trace Apollo astronaut paths, and explore lunar terrain. Includes topographical features, elevation data, international timeline of lunar exploration, and educational graphics on lunar phases, tides, and Earth-Moon-Sun system. Sold to K-12 schools and districts worldwide.
• Giant Mars Map™ A large-format (33 feet x 15 feet) interactive map of Mars created from real NASA imagery. Students explore ancient riverbeds, volcanoes, and canyons while planning rover routes and imagining life on another world. Includes elevation maps, comparative features of Mars versus Earth, and international timeline of Martian exploration. Sold to K-12 schools and districts worldwide.
• Rockets & Rovers Summer Camp™ A multi-week camp for middle school students (grades 6-8) featuring project-based learning in STEAM. Students engineer and launch rockets, code and operate robotic spacecraft, build simple satellites, and explore lunar living. Includes turn-key curriculum, materials, and professional development for schools and districts.
• Student Satellites in Space (S-Cubed) A two-year workforce development career-and-technology education (CTE) program for high school students focused on satellite spacecraft science and engineering. Year 1 includes coding, laboratory safety, and a high-altitude balloon launch capstone. Year 2 covers advanced engineering, ethics, and mission preparation culminating in a competition and real space launch via the International Space Station.
• Space Curriculum Collaborative™ (SCC) A 4-day educator professional development workshop hosted annually at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. K-12 educators connect with space education experts, develop curriculum materials, explore Kennedy Space Center, and gain access to AFF resources including Giant Moon and Mars Maps.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500,000 students reached across 49 U.S. states and 20 countries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of SydneycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 September 2025Partnership with University of Sydney to host the Australian Space Curriculum Collaborative (ASCC) as an official IAC concurrent event.
• New South Wales Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 September 2025Government education partner for the Australian Space Curriculum Collaborative, providing educators and support for space education in Australian schools.
• Twiggs Space LabcoreTechnology or IntegrationFounded by CubeSat co-inventor Professor Bob Twiggs, Twiggs Space Lab provides space education hardware and expertise for the S-Cubed program, enabling students to learn satellite engineering and participate in real space missions.
• University of Texas Center for Space Research (UT CSR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUT CSR partners with AFF on the Texas S-Cubed program, providing technical expertise and hosting teacher professional development through their Liftoff Summer Institute.
• University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUTEP conducts scholarly research to measure program success for the Texas S-Cubed initiative, providing evaluation and impact measurement expertise.
• LEGO EducationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLEGO Education sponsors lunches at the Space Curriculum Collaborative workshops and provides educational resources including LEGO Spike Prime for use with Giant Maps programs.
• Blue Origin / Club for the FutureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlue Origin's non-profit Club for the Future provides Postcards to Space program resources and guest speakers for AFF educator workshops and programs.
• Voyager (Voyager Technologies)coreTechnology or IntegrationVoyager provides real space launches for S-Cubed Year 2 capstone projects, with payloads deployed from the International Space Station (ISS).
• Bell Nunnally & Martin LLPminorOthersCommunity partner supporting Texas initiatives and workforce development programs for participating K-12 students.
• Frost BankminorOthersCommunity partner providing support for Texas STEM workforce development initiatives.
• University of Central FloridaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner contributing guest speakers and expertise to Space Curriculum Collaborative events at Kennedy Space Center.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Challenger Center: A non-profit founded in memory of the Challenger crew that delivers space-themed STEM learning experiences, simulations, and educator programs to K-12 students across the U.S. Highly comparable mission, audience, and nonprofit funding model to the Aldrin Family Foundation.
• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): A non-profit running K-12 robotics and STEM competitions (FIRST Robotics, FIRST LEGO League) with global reach, project-based learning, and strong district/sponsor partnerships — closely matching Aldrin's hands-on STEAM model.
• Space Center Houston: The official visitor center of NASA Johnson Space Center, offering K-12 educational programs, educator workshops, and space-themed exhibits — directly comparable to Aldrin's Kennedy Space Center-based SCC workshops.
• Project Lead The Way (PLTW): A leading provider of K-12 STEM and computer science curriculum adopted by thousands of U.S. school districts, with similar district-level sales motion, standards-aligned curriculum, and educator professional development offerings.
• National Space Grant Foundation: A non-profit coordinating NASA's Space Grant College and Fellowship Program across 52 U.S. jurisdictions, funding K-12 and higher-education space STEM activities with analogous federal-grant-funded STEAM mission.
• Sally Ride Science: A STEM-focused non-profit established in honor of astronaut Sally Ride that delivers K-12 STEAM programs, educator professional development, and student outreach. Direct peer due to astronaut-founded origin, STEAM focus, and K-12 audience.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Science Education Center: A division of the Smithsonian Institution developing K-12 science curricula and educator resources with national distribution and brand recognition — broadly comparable as a large, well-funded STEAM curriculum provider.
• Code.org: A large-scale non-profit delivering free K-12 computer science curriculum and educator training to U.S. school districts. Adjacent rather than direct, as it focuses on CS rather than space-themed STEAM, but shares the district-distribution GTM and standards-aligned curriculum model.

Others

• LEGO Education: LEGO's education division provides STEAM kits (including LEGO Spike Prime referenced in Aldrin's Giant Maps pricing) and curriculum for K-12 classrooms. Already an Aldrin partner; comparable as an adjacent enabling curriculum and hardware provider.

Emerging players

• Twiggs Space Lab (Bob Twiggs): Founded by CubeSat co-inventor Professor Bob Twiggs, Twiggs Space Lab develops small-satellite educational hardware for K-12 and university programs. Already an Aldrin partner; comparable as a niche space-edtech player with overlapping technical focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/aldrinfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Aldrin Family Foundation Inc