Space Foundation, a nonprofit advocate organization founded in 1983, has announced a new partnership between the organization’s Space Commerce Institute and the MILO Space Science Institute led by Arizona State University to offer Space Studio Accelerator, a 12-week program designed to increase participation in space exploration and commerce. The program prepares teams for space missions and commercialization efforts, teaching participants how to become a successful part of the new space economy.
Space Studio participants from universities, startups, and public-private partnerships engage with space industry to create new collaborations, ventures and acquisitions. The program’s goal is to train teams to better understand the lifecycle of the global space industry, to advance the supply chain, and to focus on problem solving and project management. Teams will learn how to develop innovative solutions that create sustainable pathways to contribute to their regional space ecosystems.
Teams will be provided with technical information related to their destination, launch and mobility vehicles, communications, and mission operations. Participants develop payload technology while simultaneously learning entrepreneurial principles and best practices for scaling their businesses.
The Space Studio program culminates in a “Demo Day” where reviewers with subject matter expertise in space commerce assess the teams for technology and investment potential. Reviewers are selected from potential industry partners, investors, and government representatives who can help the team engage in their desired markets and future funding opportunities.
Kelli Kedis Ogborn, Space Foundation’s vice president of space commerce and entrepreneurship, said, “Space Commerce Institute’s partnership with MILO allows us to further drive innovation, reshape markets and create a sustainable pipeline into the rapidly changing space ecosystem. Space Studio Accelerator will assist participants in gaining critical capabilities necessary for career advancement.”
“The collaboration with Space Foundation allows us to open doors for more people to participate in space exploration,” said David Thomas, executive director of MILO. “Space encompasses many domains. As we are building capacity, we are training not just the next generation of space explorers but also the next generation of ‘Earth solvers.’ These are transferable skills.”
