ISSET
ISSET is a UK-based space-themed STEM education provider that runs astronaut-led residential programmes, school packs, and events for students aged 5-18, schools, and adult groups, with over 60 student experiments launched to the International Space Station.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersCardiff, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
ISSET firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ISSET
- Legal name
- ISSET Training Ltd
- Website
- https://isset.space
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ISSET is a UK-based space-themed STEM education provider that runs astronaut-led residential programmes, school packs, and events for students aged 5-18, schools, and adult groups, with over 60 student experiments launched to the International Space Station.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ISSET industry classification
Industry- Product category
- STEM Education Services
- NAICS
- Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Space & Astronomy Programs (EDAMABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- STEM & Science Camps (Biology, Chemistry, Space, Lab Science) (EDAMALAC), Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)
Keywords
Where ISSET is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cardiff
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
ISSET business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Programme Fees: Primary revenue stream from ticketed educational programmes including Mission Discovery Summer School (day-only and residential options) and Astro Space Camp. Fees vary by programme, location, and attendance format (day-only vs residential).
- Event Ticket Sales: Sale of tickets to public evening events featuring NASA astronauts, such as 'An Evening with Two Astronauts' at Greenwood Theatre, King's College London. Tiered pricing for general admission, children, students, and seniors.
- SpaceMail Challenge Schools Packs: Sale of physical SpaceMail Challenge kits to schools, enabling students to send postcards on Blue Origin space flights. Priced from £199 per schools pack.
- Book Sales: Sale of the book 'To Be An Astronaut And Save A Space Station' written by Michael Foale and Chris Barber, targeted at aspiring astronauts and space enthusiasts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Mission Discovery London Day Only - July 2026 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Mission Discovery London Residential - July 2026 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Mission Discovery Nepal - October 2026 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Astro Space Camp London - August 2026 (5-day) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Astro Space Camp Nepal - October 2026 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | An Evening with Two Astronauts - General Admission |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | SpaceMail Challenge Schools Pack |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
ISSET product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ISSET sells space-themed STEM educational experiences — primarily multi-day summer schools and camps (Mission Discovery for ages 14-18, Astro Space Camp for ages 7-12), public evening events featuring NASA astronauts, the SpaceMail Challenge school kits (postcards flown on Blue Origin spacecraft), and an Astronaut Leadership Experience for adult groups. It also sells a related book and operates virtual competitions and classroom experiences. Winning student experiments are built at King's College London and launched to the International Space Station.
Product overview
ISSET (International Space School Educational Trust) operates a portfolio of space and STEM educational programs. The core offerings include: Mission Discovery Summer School (a 5-day program for 14-18 year olds where students design experiments for the ISS, led by NASA astronauts), Astro Space Camp (hands-on STEM activities for ages 7-12 with live astronaut Q&As), An Evening with an Astronaut (public speaking events featuring NASA astronauts), the SpaceMail Challenge (school program sending postcards to space via Blue Origin), and the Astronaut Leadership Experience (outdoor leadership training for adults based on NASA methods). Supporting offerings include Launch Prize virtual competitions, Space to Learn classroom experiences, and a published book. Over 60 student experiments have been successfully launched to the International Space Station. Programs are delivered in partnership with King's College London and NASA astronauts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Mission Discovery: Flagship space and STEM education programme for teenagers aged 14-18, featuring team-based space experiment design challenges led by NASA astronauts.
- Launch Prize
- Space to Learn
- Astro Space Camp
- SpaceMail Challenge
- Astronaut Leadership Experience (ALE)
Products and services
- Mission Discovery Summer School A flagship 5-day space and STEM summer school for 14-18 year olds, where teams design real scientific experiments that can be selected to launch to the International Space Station. Led by NASA astronauts and university professors from King's College London, with day-only and residential options.
- Astro Space Camp
Quantifiable outcome
- 60+ student experiments have been launched to the International Space Station
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use ISSET
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
ISSET technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ISSET partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- King's College LondoncoreLong-standing partnership with King's College London's Centre for Human and Aerospace Physiological Sciences. Professor Steve Harridge leads the team that builds winning Mission Discovery student experiments before they launch to the International Space Station. Dr Julie Keeble serves as Chief Scientist and coordinates experiment development. King's College London provides facilities at Guy's Campus for programme delivery.
- Pint of ScienceminorPartnership with Pint of Science for co-hosting 'An Evening with a NASA Astronaut' events. Pint of Science is a science communication organisation that brings researchers to public venues. ISSET leverages this partnership to reach Pint of Science's established audience of science enthusiasts.
- Duke of Edinburgh AwardminorISSET's Mission Discovery residential summer school programme is an approved Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award activity provider. Students completing the residential programme can count it towards their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award, adding credential value for UK students.
- Blue OrigincoreBlue Origin provides spaceflight for the SpaceMail Challenge programme. Physical postcards are sent to Blue Origin's headquarters in America, flown on Blue Origin spacecraft, and returned to participating schools with a 'Flown in Space' verification sticker. This partnership enables the unique proposition of physically sending student artwork to space.
- Premier International IB Continuum School (Nepal)minorHost venue for Mission Discovery and Astro Space Camp Nepal 2026 (6th-10th October 2026). Provides IB Continuum school facilities for programme delivery in Nepal, enabling international expansion of ISSET programmes.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ISSET competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Pint of Science: UK-based science communication festival running public events in pubs and venues. An existing ISSET GTM partner; comparable as a science engagement event operator targeting adults and families with accessible public programming.
- The Ogden Trust: UK physics education charity funding school partnerships and enrichment programmes. Comparable as a UK STEM/physics education charity supporting school audiences, serving as adjacent rather than directly competing.
Regional players
- Royal Observatory Greenwich: UK-based space/astronomy visitor and education site delivering school workshops and family astronomy events. Comparable in space-themed UK education programming for school groups and families, operating as a venue-based rather than camp-based model.
Direct peers
- Challenger Center: US-based non-profit operating Challenger Learning Centers that deliver space-themed STEM simulations and programmes for school groups. Closely comparable in mission, audience (school-age children and teens), and space-themed experiential learning model.
- U.S. Space & Rocket Center (Space Camp): The original residential space-themed STEM camp in Huntsville, Alabama. Directly comparable to ISSET's Mission Discovery Summer School and Astro Space Camp: multi-day residential programmes for children and teens, featuring astronaut engagement and hands-on space/STEM activities.
- National Space Centre: UK visitor attraction and education charity in Leicester delivering space-themed school workshops, family events, and learning programmes. Most direct UK-based comparable on audience (schools and families) and space-education subject matter.
Broad incumbents
- Royal Institution: UK-based science education charity delivering the Christmas Lectures, family workshops, school programmes, and public engagement events. Comparable in operating model (charity-driven STEM enrichment) and family/teacher audience, though broader in subject matter than ISSET.
- STEM Learning Ltd: UK-based national STEM education provider operating STEM Ambassador programmes, CPD for teachers, and school enrichment resources. Comparable as a broader UK STEM enrichment incumbent with overlapping school and teacher audience.
Emerging players
- In2Science: UK charity placing students with STEM researchers for summer placements. Comparable as a UK STEM enrichment charity targeting teen audiences with real-world science exposure, though focused on mentoring rather than space-themed camps.
- Primary Engineer: UK-based STEM education provider running engineering projects and competitions for primary and secondary schools. Comparable in school-focused STEM enrichment B2B/charity model and UK audience, though centred on engineering rather than space.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ISSET social profiles
Digital presenceISSET financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ISSET leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
ISSET subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
ISSET funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ISSET 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 ISSET
What does ISSET do?
ISSET sells space-themed STEM educational experiences — primarily multi-day summer schools and camps (Mission Discovery for ages 14-18, Astro Space Camp for ages 7-12), public evening events featuring NASA astronauts, the SpaceMail Challenge school kits (postcards flown on Blue Origin spacecraft), and an Astronaut Leadership Experience for adult groups. It also sells a related book and operates virtual competitions and classroom experiences. Winning student experiments are built at King's College London and launched to the International Space Station.
Is ISSET a public or private company?
ISSET is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ISSET founded?
ISSET was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ISSET based?
ISSET is headquartered in Cardiff, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does ISSET make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Programme Fees are the primary driver. The others are event Ticket Sales, spaceMail Challenge Schools Packs and book Sales.
Who are ISSET's main competitors?
Others on record are Pint of Science and The Ogden Trust. Royal Observatory Greenwich is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Challenger Center, U.S. Space & Rocket Center (Space Camp) and National Space Centre. Broad incumbents are Royal Institution and STEM Learning Ltd. Emerging players are In2Science and Primary Engineer.
Does ISSET have an API?
No public API is recorded for ISSET.
What industry is ISSET in?
ISSET's product category is STEM Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMABAE, Space & Astronomy Programs, with a secondary code of EDAMALAC, STEM & Science Camps (Biology, Chemistry, Space, Lab Science). Its NAICS code is 611620 and its SIC code is 7900.