Mission
The mission of the Dream Big Program is to INSPIRE, EQUIP and IMPACT the future STEM workforce by giving students a pathway to space! Working with our university partners in the tri-state area, with the goal of expanding nationwide, we intend to expand the opportunity for students to operate space-based programs in orbit!
Starting in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio, NearSpace Education is partnering with various schools and universities to impact students with our new ThinSat mission. This mission is supported by NearSpace Launch, NASA, and Firefly. Over the summer and 2024-2025 school years, students will have the opportunity to design a 0.5U ThinSat CubeSat.
Spacecraft
The spacecraft for the Dream Big program represent a new generation 0.5U ThinSat CubeSat, designed by Near Space Launch. The new design is intended to increase the amount of available payload capacity over our previous ThinSat offerings, enabling many more students the opportunity to operate space-based programs in orbit!
Phase 1
For Phase one, we have partnered with 6 tri-state area colleges and universities, providing exposure to:
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Emerging Technologies
- Space Entrepreneurship
The phase one Dream Big Satellites will be launching into orbit in February of 2026 aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-16 rideshare mission. Launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on a Falcon 9 rocket.
Phase 1 Partners
Phase 2
Over the next three years, the Dream Big: STEPS to Space program will give up to 900 Indiana students in grades 5–8 hands-on experience designing, testing, and flying real hardware to the edge of space.
Dream Big: STEPS to Space (Scalable Testing of Electronics and Programming by Students) removes traditional barriers to STEM education by immersing students in the full lifecycle of a real satellite mission.
1. Programming & Mission Design
Students learn coding using NASA educational materials and the Micro:bit Educational Foundation curriculum, then design experiments aligned with real NASA space missions.
2. High-Altitude Testing
Teams test their programmed micro:bit hardware on high-altitude balloon flights reaching the edge of space, hosted at public events across Indiana.
3. Flight Selection
Each team contributes software that is integrated into a flight-ready micro:bit. One from every team of 30 will be selected for space.
4. Launch to Low Earth Orbit
Student-programmed hardware is flown aboard a NearSpace Launch TROOP 6U CubeSat, launching via SpaceX’s Transporter mission.
5. Operations & Data Analysis
Students track flight data, analyze results, and present their findings through reports, websites, and conferences — just like real mission teams.
Reaching Communities Statewide:
NearSpace Education is partnering with leading science and education organizations to host launches and outreach events statewide:
- Science Central — Fort Wayne
- STARBASE Indiana – Gary — Gary
- Indiana State Museum — Indianapolis
- Terre Haute Children’s Museum — Terre Haute
- Angel Mounds State Historic Site — Evansville
Each partner will host high-altitude balloon launches and public STEM events, bringing the excitement of space exploration directly to students, families, educators, and sponsors in their communities.
Phase 3
Phase III will expand the program nationwide, inspiring and equipping college and high school students across the country. The national program aims to:
- Launch 150 High Altitude Balloons
- Launch 50 spacecraft, one for every state!
- Impact upwards of 1,000,000 students !
Commercial Spaceflight Partners
33 North Main Street, Upland, IN 46989