blue marble space

What blue marble space does

Blue Marble Space is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research institute founded in 2009 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It operates as a global community of hundreds of research scientists, science communication specialists, educators, staff scientists, visiting scholars, and research associates focused on advancing knowledge about life in the universe and Earth stewardship. The organization delivers value through a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a single product: the Young Scientist Program (YSP) and Visiting Scholars Program (VSP) provide mentored research opportunities for undergraduate, post-bachelors, and graduate-level scholars; Sciworthy and Ask an Astrobiologist are public science communication platforms; The Explainables offers science communication training and consultation; SALAD is an astrobotany database; Project Janus is a futures-studies content library; NASA BRAILLE conducts cave analog biology research; One Flag in Space (OFiS) is an advocacy initiative; and Ad Astra Academy extends learning into communities globally. A core co-development partnership with NASA Ames Research Center Space Biosciences Division has resulted in NASA's formal adoption of the BMS YSP training philosophy for developing space biology professionals.

Name

blue marble space

Legal name

Blue Marble Space

Website

https://bluemarblespace.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Blue Marble Space is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit research institute running a global community of scientists, educators, and visiting scholars. It delivers mentored research internships, science communication platforms, and astrobiology and Earth science programs in partnership with NASA Ames.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Space Science Research and Education

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Space & Astronomy Programs (EDAMABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAK)

Keywords

• Space science research
• Astrobiology education
• Science communication
• Young scientist training
• Nonprofit research institute

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Blue Marble Space relies on public donations through its Zeffy donation platform and Supporter's Circle membership program.
2. Government Research Grants: The organization receives U.S. government funds for research activities. They maintain transparency with external audit reports and IRS Form 990 filings.
3. Program Fees: The Young Scientist Program charges a $20 USD application fee. Some projects have funding while many are unpaid.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Blue Marble Space is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research institute that conducts research and provides training in space and Earth system science. It operates a portfolio of educational programs (Young Scientist Program, Visiting Scholars Program, Ad Astra Academy), science communication platforms (Sciworthy, Ask an Astrobiologist, The Explainables), and research projects (Project Janus, NASA BRAILLE, SALAD). The organization mentors early-career scientists and serves a global community of researchers, educators, and lifelong learners.

Product overview

Blue Marble Space is a nonprofit research institute operating as a platform of interconnected programs rather than a single unified product. Its portfolio includes science communication platforms (Sciworthy, The Explainables, Ask an Astrobiologist), educational initiatives (Young Scientist Program, Visiting Scholars Program, Ad Astra Academy), research projects (Project Janus, NASA BRAILLE, SALAD database), and advocacy programs (One Flag in Space). These programs work together to advance BMS's mission of pushing frontiers of knowledge about life in the universe, sharing science globally, and mentoring the next generation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sciworthy: Provides unbiased summaries of the latest research for exploring science on your own terms.
• One Flag in Space (OFiS)
• Ask an Astrobiologist
• SALAD
• Sea of Cortez Expedition
• Project Janus
• NASA BRAILLE
• The Explainables
• Ad Astra Academy
• Young Scientist Program (YSP)
• Visiting Scholar Program (VSP)

Products and services

• Sciworthy A science communication platform that provides unbiased summaries of the latest research, enabling users to explore science on their own terms. Targeted at the general public and lifelong learners.
• One Flag in Space (OFiS) Advocacy initiative aiming to expand the message of common identity for all humans and argue that astronauts traveling to space can represent everyone on Earth.
• Ask an Astrobiologist A multimedia platform offering astrobiology resources, opportunities, articles, and interviews with leading scientists in the quest to understand the nature of life.
• SALAD A research database cataloguing astrobotany projects for reference by researchers and the public.
• Project Janus A futures studies project presenting 10 unique scenarios of Earth and the solar system 1000 years from now, designed to contemplate the range of possibilities for the future.
• NASA BRAILLE Biologic and Resource Analog Investigations in Low Light Environments - a research program exploring caves and their connections to life on Earth and beyond.
• The Explainables Science communication training and consultation services designed to improve branding, messaging, and marketing of scientific ideas and the scientists working on them.
• Ad Astra Academy An educational initiative that brings the joy of learning and conducting scientific investigations to communities globally.
• Young Scientist Program (YSP) An online internship program for students and early-career scientists interested in Earth and space science, science communication, and moral philosophy. Participants engage in basic research, learn science communication, and develop critical thinking skills in ethics and policy. Includes a $20 application fee with a lottery option for those unable to pay.
• Visiting Scholars Program (VSP) A research fellowship offering one-year appointments for graduate students and scholars to work on specific projects supervised by BMS Research Scientists. Tenures may be extended.

Quantifiable outcome

• The YSP training philosophy has been adopted by NASA Ames Research Center Space Biosciences Division
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NASA Ames Research Center Space Biosciences DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMS collaborates with NASA Ames Research Center Space Biosciences Division to manage the NASA/BMS Young Scientist Program in Space Biosciences. The YSP training philosophy developed by BMS has been formally adopted by NASA Ames. This collaboration develops the next generation of space biology professionals, focusing on post-bachelors and pre-doctoral students. Participants in this program are physically located at NASA Ames labs in Mountain View, California.
• Greenflash ConservationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMS supports the Sea of Cortez Expedition project, in partnership with Greenflash Conservation, which retraces and improves on a scientific expedition from 1940. The project aims to return to the Sea of Cortez for conservation research.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bluemarblespace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bluemarblespace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 blue marble space