The Houston Association for Space and Science Education (HASSE) was founded in Houston in 2005 on a simple premise: people learn to decide well by working on hard problems, under real constraints, in the company of those who solve such problems for a living. HASSE calls these settings decision environments, and builds them around problems drawn from space exploration.
HASSE comprises two institutions. HASSE Space School serves students from age 11 through university. The HASSE Space Leadership Institute serves leaders and executives. Both are organized around the IGNIS Framework, described below.
Over two decades, HASSE has worked with students and educators from more than 20 countries. The challenges of the space age are shared across borders, and so, increasingly, is the work of meeting them.
HASSE also hosts the World Space Vision & AI Challenge, in which student teams apply artificial intelligence and methods from several disciplines to open questions in space exploration.
Houston has been a center of human spaceflight since the 1960s. Few places hold as much practical experience of operating in space, and HASSE’s work draws directly on it.
HASSE’s partner is Space Center Houston. Program activities also take place at space organizations, universities, and companies, and include visits to NASA Johnson Space Center.
HASSE is a member of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP).
Every period of rapid technological change raises the same question: what remains the responsibility of people? IGNIS, HASSE’s operating doctrine and the method behind every program, gives a clear answer. AI organizes what is already known; people decide what should happen next and answer for the result.
To give students direct contact with practicing scientists, engineers, and astronauts.
To teach science and engineering through concrete problems, not abstraction alone.
To sustain curiosity by making demanding work engaging.
Students develop analytical, collaborative, and cross-disciplinary skills that apply well beyond the space sector, together with a working understanding that the field, like most fields that matter, is now global.
Rover design, rocketry, and mission simulations take place on site in Houston, alongside visits to NASA Johnson Space Center.
Astronauts, scientists, engineers, and industry professionals take part in the program. Students put their questions to people with direct experience of the work.
In simulated missions, students take assigned roles and complete tasks as a team. Communication, coordination, and responsibility for decisions become visible, and can therefore be examined.
Missions run on finite time, equipment, and information. Students learn to set priorities and to accept the trade-offs their choices entail.
Students age 15 and older design concepts for lunar and Martian bases, build prototypes in a makerspace, and discuss their designs with professionals in the space industry.
“As a former NASA astronaut and International Space Station Commander, I have had the privilege of venturing where many dream but few have gone before me. I am honored to share my experiences and encourage today’s students – the future leaders and innovators – to pursue their dreams and ‘reach for the stars’ as well.
An empowering, highly experiential program focused on leadership and personal development, all grounded in STEM. Students have the unique opportunity to learn from NASA experts right at NASA facilities. They acquire essential skills such as leadership through influence, setting and achieving goals, developing initiative, nurturing curiosity, and imagination, and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset, all in the same inspiring environment where I received my space training.
HASSE students engage with astronauts, scientists, and engineers, participating in hands-on missions and simulations. They return better prepared for life as critical thinkers, leaders, innovators, and collaborators, ready to face the world beyond the school gates.
Former NASA astronaut, International Space Station Commander
