AUSTIN, Texas
“This grant marks a powerful leap forward for space education in Texas,” said Dr. Buzz Aldrin, who piloted Gemini 12 and Apollo 11’s lunar module, and now serves as founder and chair emeritus of the Aldrin Family Foundation. “By investing in students today, we’re preparing the explorers of tomorrow and honoring the legacy of Texas in America’s journey to space.”
The Aldrin Family Foundation (AFF) has been awarded a grant of up to $4.7 million from the Texas Space Commission’s Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund (SEARF) to scale its Student Satellites in Space (S-Cubed) program into high schools across the state of Texas.
This investment advances AFF’s mission to equip students with the knowledge, skills and real-world experiences needed to thrive in STEM careers. It also ensures that the future of space exploration starts in today’s classrooms. The grant will support a five-year rollout of S-Cubed in school districts across Texas.
S-Cubed is a nationally recognized, two-year educational program developed in partnership with Twiggs Space Lab. Designed for high school classrooms, the program integrates engineering, data analysis, teamwork and space science into a comprehensive STEM curriculum. Students design, build and test satellite hardware, participate in high-altitude balloon missions and develop capstone research payloads that can be launched into space.
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This two-year program brings real-world aerospace learning into the classroom.
- Year One: Students learn engineering basics, satellite systems and lab safety. They complete a simulated space mission using high-altitude balloons to collect near-space data.
- Year Two: Students deepen skills through advanced satellite builds, a design review and a capstone project. Space launch opportunities are available.
The curriculum meets Texas education standards. Teachers train through the University of Texas at Austin’s LiftOff Summer Institute and students are mentored by aerospace professionals.
“This grant will allow us to expand our reach dramatically, giving students across Texas the opportunity to see themselves in space-related careers,” said Dr. Andrew Aldrin, the CEO and president of the Aldrin Family Foundation. “It’s not just about launching satellites, it’s about launching futures. We’re honored to work with the Texas Space Commission to empower entire districts with the tools, training and mentorship to ignite long-term impact.”
The grant will support four key milestones:
- Teacher recruitment and professional development
- Classroom implementation of the S-Cubed curriculum and hardware
- Ongoing longitudinal research and student outcome analysis
- A capstone mission involving satellite payload development and launch
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Aldrin Family Foundation currently serves more than 500 schools across 47 states and 11 countries, impacting over 300,000 students each year. The SEARF grant will enable the Foundation to bring its program to Texas classrooms at no cost to participating districts. By expanding access to hands-on aerospace education in Texas—a state with deep roots in space exploration—this investment strengthens not only local talent pipelines but also America’s leadership in the global STEM and space workforce.
The Texas Space Commission, launched in 2024 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, is charged with securing Texas’s future in civil, commercial and military aerospace innovation. SEARF provides targeted grants to organizations that expand research, education and the state’s economic footprint in space exploration.
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About the Aldrin Family Foundation
The Aldrin Family Foundation (AFF) develops immersive, standards-aligned STEAM learning experiences that bring space exploration to life in classrooms worldwide. From satellite missions to Giant Moon and Mars Map™ programs, AFF’s hands-on curriculum engages K–12 students and helps build the global space workforce of the future. AFF has reached over 300,000 students across 47 U.S. states and 11 countries—and continues to expand through partnerships with districts, nonprofits and space industry leaders.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Griffin Communications Group (representing AFF)
Rena Anderson; rena@griffincg.com