The Space Entrepreneur Summer Academy is a summer camp like no other: a crash course in astropreneurship. Many people have heard of space camp; this is space-business camp. The three-week program, held at Expanding Frontiers and in close collaboration with the Brownsville Independent School District, exposes ambitious high school students to the opportunities for careers in new space. Guest speakers from NASA, the Silicon Valley Space Center, UTRGV’s Center for Advanced Radio Astronomy, and other industry leaders introduce students to an industry rising in their own backyards.

New space, also referred to as “commercial space,” is a new paradigm where private companies, rather than government agencies, lead the way in democratizing and monetizing space exploration. During the three weeks, students take field trips to the Low Frequency All Sky Monitor (LoFASM) and STARGATE sites near Boca Chica beach. They also receive hands-on training in business planning and public speaking, both of which should come in handy when these academy graduates go on to start their own companies.

The first Space Entrepreneur Summer Academy was held in 2019. It went on hiatus for 2020 on account of the coronavirus. We are really excited to be hosting the Space Entrepreneur Summer Academy once again this summer 2022!

Read a former summer academy participant’s reflection on the experience: On New Space: Space Entrepreneurs Summer Academy 2019