181 universities and academic space groups worldwide

Student-run Texas A&M space programme — trains students in systems engineering through designing, building and operating small satellites and space hardware.

University of Alaska Fairbanks-based NASA Space Grant programme funding student space projects, scholarships and research in Alaska.

University aerospace department in Boulder — teaches and researches astrodynamics, spacecraft systems, remote sensing and space science.

NASA-funded Arizona university consortium based in Tucson — supports space science education, research and workforce programmes.

University of Arkansas research centre for space and planetary science — runs the Andromeda planetary simulation chamber and graduate degrees in the field.

US academic space medicine centre — conducts space biomedical research and education and leads NASA's Translational Research Institute for Space Health.

Boston University research centre for space physics — studies the ionosphere, magnetosphere and heliosphere and builds CubeSat and lunar instruments.

Student-run research lab at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo — co-created the CubeSat standard and has designed and launched over a dozen CubeSats.

UT Austin research centre — leads satellite geodesy and gravity missions (GRACE-FO, ICESat-2 science), small satellites and cislunar research.

Virginia Tech research centre — studies space weather, the ionosphere and magnetosphere and builds instruments and small satellites.

UMBC research centre — about 80 scientists and engineers working on space science largely with NASA Goddard under the CRESST II agreement.

Stanford engineering department teaching and researching spacecraft autonomy, guidance and navigation, space robotics and planetary exploration.

US university aerospace department — teaches and researches spacecraft, propulsion, small satellites and flight systems at the Grainger College of Engineering.

University of Southern California engineering department — teaching and research in spacecraft design, space propulsion and space systems.

University of Michigan engineering department — researches space physics, planetary science and space instrumentation, and builds spaceflight hardware.

University of North Dakota graduate department dedicated to space studies — offers MS and PhD programmes and runs a human spaceflight laboratory.

Aerospace-focused US university in Daytona Beach — offers aerospace, space physics and commercial space operations degrees and hosts space research labs.

Caltech's aerospace department (Lynn Booth & Kent Kresa Department of Aerospace) — graduate teaching and research in aeronautics and space engineering.

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa-based NASA Space Grant consortium within HIGP supporting space science education and research in Hawaiʻi.

NASA Space Grant consortium for Indiana — funds space-related fellowships, research and STEM outreach, with Purdue University as lead institution.

University of Colorado Boulder research institute — designs, builds and operates space science instruments and spacecraft for NASA missions.

UMass Lowell space research centre — builds space instruments and small satellites and leads the MASTS Massachusetts space technology hub.

NASA-affiliated Michigan university consortium in Ann Arbor — funds space-related education, research and outreach programmes in the state.

Student satellite team at Missouri University of Science and Technology — designs and builds small satellites such as MR & MRS SAT and DEXSTR for AFRL programmes.

MIT research institute for astrophysics and space science — develops space instruments and contributes to NASA missions such as TESS.

MIT Media Lab research group — designs and flies space technologies, zero-gravity experiments and artistic payloads for future space habitation.

NASA Space Grant consortium for Montana, based at Montana State University — funds space-related education, research and student projects.

Statewide NASA Space Grant consortium headquartered at CU Boulder — students build CubeSats, sounding-rocket and balloon payloads across Colorado colleges.

University of Idaho-hosted NASA Space Grant consortium funding space and aerospace education, fellowships and research across Idaho.

NASA Space Grant consortium for Illinois — funds space-related scholarships, student projects and STEM outreach, led from UIUC.

NASA Space Grant consortium for Wisconsin — funds space-related scholarships, research, rocketry and STEM outreach, led from Carthage College.

NASA Space Grant consortium for New Mexico, hosted by New Mexico State University — runs NASA EPSCoR, scholarships and student launch programmes.

NASA Space Grant consortium for Ohio — funds space-related scholarships, research and STEM outreach across Ohio universities and colleges.

Oregon State University-based NASA Space Grant consortium supporting space STEM education, student projects and research in Oregon.

Portland State University student group building open-source rockets, liquid engines, CubeSats (OreSat) and satellite ground stations.

US university aerospace school — teaches and researches astronautics, propulsion, spacecraft dynamics and aeronautics in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Rice University interdisciplinary space institute in Houston — coordinates space research, education and ties with NASA JSC and commercial space firms.

Kentucky university space centre — builds small satellites and operates a 21 m deep-space tracking antenna supporting NASA and commercial missions.

University of Houston research and teaching centre for space architecture — runs the MS in Space Architecture and designs habitats for space and extreme environments.

Arizona State University school in Tempe — combines planetary science, astrophysics and space instrument development, including NASA missions.

University of Minnesota laboratory — builds CubeSats and payloads, such as EXACT and IMPRESS, to study solar flares and test spacecraft technologies.

Joint USC Information Sciences Institute and Astronautical Engineering centre — researches nanosatellites, space robotics and spacecraft technology.

University of Iowa space physics group founded on James Van Allen's legacy — builds plasma-wave and particle instruments and leads NASA's TRACERS mission.

GWU Elliott School institute — conducts research, teaching and convenings on US and international civil, commercial and national security space policy.

Stanford Aeronautics and Astronautics lab — researches spacecraft navigation, rendezvous, formation flying and space domain awareness.

Colorado School of Mines graduate programme and Center for Space Resources — education and research on space resources and in-situ resource utilisation.

University of New Hampshire space research centre within EOS — builds instruments for NASA heliophysics missions such as MMS and HelioSwarm.

UC Berkeley research unit — designs, builds and operates space science instruments and missions, with roles in over 50 NASA missions.

Georgia Tech aerospace engineering lab — designs, tests and operates small satellites, with thermal vacuum facilities and a mission operations centre.

Cornell University spacecraft research lab — runs student and NASA/Air Force-funded flight experiments, from KickSat chipsats to light sails.

US Naval Academy aerospace lab — midshipmen design, build, launch and operate CubeSats and run a satellite ground station.

University of Maryland space robotics lab — runs the only university neutral buoyancy tank for EVA, servicing and space robotics research.

U.S. Air Force Academy research centre in Colorado Springs — cadets design, build and operate FalconSAT small satellites for DoD missions.

UC Berkeley student organisation developing CubeSat payloads, microgravity experiments, rovers and astronaut-health biotech projects.

Student-run Stanford organisation building rockets, satellites and high-altitude balloons, with biology, policy and Mars-analog teams.

Texas A&M University space research institute — building a $200M facility next to NASA Johnson Space Center for lunar, robotics and spaceflight research.

UT Austin student spacecraft laboratory — designs, builds and operates small satellites and develops proximity-operations and GNC technologies.

UCLA institute uniting its space science and engineering departments — builds on UCLA space-physics work such as the ELFIN CubeSat and MMS instruments.

Graduate campus of the University of Tennessee next to Arnold AFB — research and education in aerospace, propulsion, hypersonics and space systems.

Student rocketry lab at the University of Southern California — designs experimental rockets and was the first student team to reach space.

NASA Space Grant consortium for Utah, hosted at Utah State University — funds space-related fellowships, student research and STEM outreach.

University of Washington-led NASA Space Grant consortium funding space-related scholarships, research and STEM programmes across Washington.

UT Dallas space physics centre — designs and flies ionospheric plasma instruments on satellites and sounding rockets and analyses space-weather data.

University of Washington engineering department researching spacecraft, space propulsion and plasma science, and training aerospace engineers.

NASA Space Grant consortium for Wyoming, based at the University of Wyoming in Laramie — funds space-related student research and STEM education.

University of Alberta student satellite team — designs, builds and operates CubeSats such as Ex-Alta 1 and Ex-Alta 2 from its Edmonton campus.

Polytechnique Montréal research unit in lunar engineering working on regolith, lunar infrastructure and resources for Moon exploration.

University of Calgary space physics group — runs ground-based auroral imaging networks such as TREx and AuroraMAX and contributes to missions including SMILE.

University of Calgary student space team — built FrontierSat (CTS-SAT-1), Calgary's first student-built CubeSat carrying a mini plasma imager.

New Brunswick university CubeSat programme led by UNB with Université de Moncton and NBCC — built the VIOLET space-weather CubeSat deployed in 2024.

Western University research institute for Earth and space exploration — successor to its planetary science centre, running research, training and a CubeSat project.

University of Alberta interdisciplinary space institute — research in space physics, microgravity science, space instrumentation and planetary science.

McGill University Faculty of Law institute — graduate teaching and research in international air and space law and policy.

Concordia University space institute at the Gina Cody School — research and training in propulsion, spacecraft systems, robotics and human health in space.

University of Calgary geomatics engineering lab — research on GNSS signal processing, multi-constellation receivers, spoofing detection and GNSS/INS integration.

University of New Brunswick space physics lab — operates the CHAIN/SWINCan ionospheric GNSS and HF radar network for space weather research.

Simon Fraser University student CubeSat team in Burnaby — co-develops the ALEASAT disaster-relief imaging 1U CubeSat with UBC Orbit under ESA Fly Your Satellite.

University of Toronto robotics lab — researches autonomous robotic systems for space and terrestrial settings, including lunar rover navigation.

Carleton University lab in Ottawa — researches spacecraft robotics, guidance and proximity operations using its SPOT air-bearing testbed.

University of British Columbia student satellite design team — 50+ students designing and developing CubeSat missions in Vancouver.

University of British Columbia student team designing and launching suborbital rockets, a liquid bipropellant engine and a thrust-vectoring landing vehicle.

University of Toronto aerospace research institute — hosts space robotics, spacecraft dynamics and microsatellite research groups in Toronto.

University of Saskatchewan student space design team — builders of RADSAT-SK, the first satellite made in Saskatchewan, and of planetary rovers.

University of Victoria student team designing and launching high-powered supersonic sounding rockets for the Launch Canada Challenge and Spaceport America Cup.

Aerospace and telecommunications engineering school at UPC — research and education in space systems.

Aerospace engineering school at UPC Terrassa — research and education in space systems.

Spanish university space geodesy group — studies sea level, water cycle and ocean circulation with satellite laser ranging and gravimetry missions.

Spanish university microwave research group — develops PoliTech-1, the first fully Valencian CubeSat, and RF hardware for space with ESA.

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid institute — builds microsatellites such as UPMSat-2 and runs the Master in Space Systems (MUSE) and a ground station.

Spanish university space robotics lab — researches orbital robotics for debris removal, satellite servicing, in-orbit manufacturing and digital twins.

Spanish university Earth observation lab within UV's Image Processing Laboratory — leads science work for ESA's FLEX fluorescence mission.

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid research group — models and tests electric space thrusters, magnetic nozzles and plasma-spacecraft interaction.

Spanish university research group — develops power and electronic systems for satellites and deep-space microsatellites at UMH in Elche.

Universidad de Alcalá space research group — leads the Solar Orbiter EPD instrument and designs onboard computers and software for satellites.

Focuses on innovative small satellite concepts, subsystem development and Earth observation payloads.

Student project developing aeronautics and space technologies at UPC — largest of its kind.

Spanish university space laboratory at the University of Vigo — develops small satellites and space technologies with students and researchers.

University of Coimbra research unit for Earth and space sciences — studies geomagnetism, space weather and solar physics at the Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory.

University of Porto Faculty of Sciences research unit — works on heliophysics, remote sensing and GIS at the Prof. Manuel de Barros Astronomical Observatory.

Instituto Superior Técnico research unit for astrophysics and gravitation — includes a scientific and space instrumentation and modelling group.

University of Minho student aerospace team — builds experimental rockets and CubeSat technology, selected for the European Rocketry Challenge 2026.

University of Porto planetarium and Ciência Viva science centre — runs public astronomy and space science sessions, talks and school programmes.

University of Porto student rocketry association at FEUP — develops hybrid rockets and competes in the European Rocketry Challenge (EuRoC).

Instituto Superior Técnico student rocketry team — designs, builds and launches solid-propellant rockets and competes in the European Rocketry Challenge.

Brazilian Air Force engineering university — trains aerospace engineers and runs space research programmes, including the ITASAT CubeSat missions.

Federal University of Maranhão space electronics lab — built the Aldebaran-I CubeSat for locating vessels in distress, with AEB and INPE support.

University of Brasília space lab — developed the AlfaCrux CubeSat and runs small-satellite simulation, ground station and ballooning work.

University of São Paulo student rocketry team — designs and builds sounding rockets, motors and satellites for national and international contests.

Brazilian university space systems lab — developed the FloripaSat-1 CubeSat and is building FloripaSat-RO, a 6U GNSS radio-occultation CubeSat backed by AEB.

São Carlos School of Engineering (USP) student aerospace group — develops CubeSat hardware, high-altitude probes and tracking software since 2014.

French university space centre at École polytechnique — trains students by building nanosatellites such as X-CubeSat and the VLEO electric-propulsion CubeSat IonSat.

University of Montpellier space centre — designs and builds ROBUSTA nanosatellites while training students in space engineering.

French private aerospace engineering school — trains engineers in aeronautics and space, with launcher, satellite and space-systems specialisations.

Toulouse aerospace engineering school — trains engineers and runs research in space systems, small satellites and space science.

TU Berlin university chair — designs, builds and operates small satellites such as the BEESAT and TUBiX series, with its own ground stations and labs.

Kiel University space physics group — builds particle detectors for missions such as Solar Orbiter's Energetic Particle Detector and studies heliospheric physics.

TU Braunschweig university institute — researches space propulsion, satellite technology, space debris modelling and in-space manufacturing.

German university space institute — researches electric propulsion, re-entry and small satellites, with over 170 staff at the Space Center Baden-Württemberg.

Swiss ESA User Support and Operations Centre at HSLU — plans and operates biology experiments and payloads on the ISS Columbus module from Hergiswil.

EPFL's space centre in Lausanne — supports space research, runs the Minor in Space Technologies and student space teams, and spun off ClearSpace.

Swiss university research division — builds mass spectrometers and instruments for missions such as Rosetta, CHEOPS and JUICE.

University of Zurich space cluster — coordinates research groups in space life sciences and Earth observation and runs parabolic and research flights at Dübendorf.

Chinese university astronautics school in Beijing — teaches and researches spacecraft design, rocket propulsion and guidance, with roots in a 1956 rocket section.

Chinese university astronautics school in Harbin — has built and launched over 30 small satellites, including Lilac, Longjiang-2 lunar and Tiandu missions.

Chinese university astronautics school in Xi'an — researches propulsion, flight control and microsatellites, and hosts the APSCO aerospace talent base.

University of Tokyo aerospace lab — pioneer of CubeSats and micro/nano-satellite development, producing many university satellite missions and spin-offs.

Japanese university space laboratory — tests spacecraft charging and environment effects and leads the BIRDS international CubeSat programme.

Tohoku University lab in Sendai — develops lunar and planetary rovers, space robots and university microsatellites such as RISING and DIWATA-1.

Aerospace development centre of Mexico's Instituto Politécnico Nacional — runs space engineering projects, stratospheric missions and training.

UNAM programme coordinating space research across Mexico's National University — runs nanosatellite projects, CanSat contests and space scholarships.

Mexican university in Puebla — develops national CubeSats, including AztechSat-1 (with NASA) and the volcano-monitoring GXIBA-1 deployed from the ISS via KiboCUBE.

Dutch university faculty — teaches and researches geo-information science and satellite Earth observation for international development applications.

Leiden Law School institute — teaches and researches air and space law and policy, runs an Advanced LL.M. and hosts the Dutch ECSL contact point.

Delft University of Technology institute — unites space research on sensing from space, distributed space systems and space robotics.

South African university rocketry institute in Durban — develops Phoenix hybrid sounding rockets and SAFFIRE liquid engine technology.

South African university satellite lab — built SUNSAT and now focuses on CubeSat and ADCS research, with ground station and test chambers.

South African university space centre at CPUT — builds CubeSats such as ZACube-1 and ZACube-2 and exports CubeSat radio systems.

University of Leicester science and innovation park — single-site hub for space research, enterprise and teaching, home to NCEO headquarters.

University of Surrey space engineering centre — pioneer of small-satellite research since 1979, now part of the Surrey Space Institute.

UCL space research laboratory — builds space science instruments and has taken part in more than 70 satellite missions from Holmbury St Mary.

Argentine university aerospace centre — develops satellite subsystems, experimental rocket motors and test platforms at the National University of La Plata.

Argentine graduate institute of CONAE and the National University of Córdoba — trains specialists in space systems and applications of satellite information.

Australian university space centre at Curtin — runs the Binar CubeSat programme and planetary science research including the Binar Prospector lunar mission.

Australia's first ride-share satellite mission — provides space heritage and on-orbit testing opportunities for local startups and research projects via the Waratah Seed-1 satel…

Danish national space institute at DTU — researches astrophysics, Earth observation and geodesy and builds space instruments such as star trackers.

Danish university space research centre — unites Aalborg University research on satellites, space robotics and space communications and runs a national ground station.

University of Hong Kong research laboratory — studies space science and planetary exploration and works with CAS partners such as CSU on space missions.

Hong Kong university space institute — leads a CO2 and methane observatory payload for the Tiangong station, Hong Kong's first station payload.

Deemed university under India's Department of Space — offers degree and doctoral programmes in space science, technology and applications.

Indian university student satellite team at IIT Bombay — built the Pratham nanosatellite (PSLV-C35, 2016) and develops further student missions.

University of Malta research group on space electronics — develops the ASTREA pico-satellite constellation and a small-satellite ground station.

University of Malta institute for space science and astronomy — runs astrophysics, space-debris tracking and high-altitude balloon projects.

AGH University of Krakow student space team — builds Mars rovers, sounding rockets and stratospheric balloon payloads; ERC and URC winner.

Warsaw University of Technology student space group — built the PW-Sat and PW-Sat2 CubeSats and runs rocketry, robotics and balloon teams.

KTH Royal Institute of Technology space centre — coordinates space research and education and runs the MIST student CubeSat project in Stockholm.

Luleå University of Technology space research centre — runs space engineering research and Sweden's space engineering master's programme at Space Campus Kiruna.

Austrian university space institute at TU Graz — built TUGSAT-1, Austria's first satellite, and develops CubeSats such as PRETTY and operates ground stations.

University of Liège research unit — 100+ researchers in planetology, exoplanets, astrophysics and space instrumentation; co-leads the TRAPPIST telescopes.

Botswana's national space programme hosted at BIUST — developing a 3U Earth observation nanosatellite constellation in partnership with international space agencies.

University of Chile space lab — built SUCHAI-1, Chile's first locally made satellite, and the SUCHAI-2/3/4 and PlantSat CubeSats.

Costa Rican university space systems lab — developed the Irazú CubeSat, Costa Rica's first satellite, and runs small-satellite environmental monitoring work.

Ecuadorian university space programme — has placed three nanosatellites in orbit (2017, 2019, 2025) with Russia's SWSU and runs a satellite control centre in Quito.

Estonian university space centre — built the Koit and Hämarik student satellites, runs a ground station and leads space cybersecurity research.

Finnish university space physics lab — studies solar energetic particles and builds space radiation instruments such as ERNE and RADMON.

Operates Ghana's first student-built satellite GhanaSat-1 — pioneers space engineering education and CubeSat development, training the next generation of African space engineers.

Guatemalan university aerospace laboratory — built Quetzal-1, Guatemala's first satellite (2020), and is developing the Quetzal-2 CubeSat mission.

Honduran university faculty of space sciences — astronomy, astrophysics and geographic information science; grew out of the Suyapa Central American Observatory.

University College Dublin space research centre — built EIRSAT-1, Ireland's first satellite, and leads CubeSat, gamma-ray detector and EO research.

Israeli university space institute at the Technion in Haifa — conducts space technology and space science research, small satellites and education.

University of Padova space research centre — develops instruments and technologies for missions such as Rosetta, BepiColombo and Mars Express.

University of Luxembourg space robotics group — researches in-space servicing, lunar rovers and manipulation, operating the LunaLab analogue and Zero-G Lab.

Space research hub within UM6P — develops Earth observation applications, geospatial AI and space systems engineering training for Africa, with a focus on agriculture and climat…

New Zealand university space institute — runs space science, SAR, electric propulsion and CubeSat missions with its own mission control centre.

Norwegian university small-satellite lab at NTNU — builds and operates the HYPSO hyperspectral CubeSats for ocean and Earth observation research.

Pakistani public university — offers aerospace, space science and satellite engineering degrees and leads national small-satellite research in Islamabad.

NASA-funded university consortium led by the University of Puerto Rico — funds space-related STEM education, fellowships and research across Puerto Rico.

Space engineering and innovation lab at Africa's pan-continental university — trains the next generation of African space professionals and develops satellite technology capacity.

South Korean university satellite centre at KAIST — developed Korea's first satellites (KITSAT) and builds small science and technology satellites.

Istanbul Technical University small-satellite lab — designs, builds and tests CubeSats, incl. ITUpSAT1, Turkey's first CubeSat.

Ukrainian aerospace university in Kharkiv — trains engineers and conducts research in aircraft, rocket engines and space technology.

Emirati university space lab in Abu Dhabi — trains students in CubeSat design, assembly and testing, including the Yahsat Space Lab AIV facility.