Columbia University – Columbia Space Initiative

The Columbia Space Initiative is an engineering club with 250 active members and over 40 administrators. It is dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge in near-space, space, and beyond. The organization conducts research and development across various missions, including behavioral science for spaceflight, futuristic aviation systems, CubeSats, high-altitude balloons for atmospheric data and experimental payloads, and astronaut tools for microgravity. They also engage in RASC-AL challenges targeting lunar and Martian survival, design robotic grip-assist gloves, build high-powered hybrid rockets for experimental payloads, develop astrobiology countermeasures for astronaut health, and work on space manufacturing and space policy analysis. Additionally, they develop wearable augmented reality for space suits. The Columbia Space Initiative has secured NASA funding for a satellite launch in 2027, launched a hybrid rocket in the Mojave Desert, and flew a biological payload on a parabolic plane. Past activities include sending a payload to the International Space Station, testing devices in NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab, and presenting mission proposals at Cape Canaveral. They also launch high-altitude balloons. The organization is headquartered at Columbia University. They conduct outreach programs for public middle school students around New York City, including events at the Intrepid Museum and Columbia’s campus, and an annual astronomy summer camp in Pennsylvania.