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The Space Science Institute (SSI) is a nonprofit, public benefit 501(c)(3) corporation founded in 1992. SSI has five major branches: Research, Cassini Flight Operations, National Center for Interactive Learning, Business Operations, and Information Systems and Technology (IST). SSI is on the leading edge of creating new, affordable, efficient, and far-reaching models for earth and space science research and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. In the coming years, our potential to make science accessible to large numbers of people, including underserved communities, is enormous. The key to our approach is that we offer the full continuum of discovery and education – we conduct world-class scientific research and we make it accessible to a broad population. Humans are driven to explore. We are inspired by fundamental questions: Are we alone? Could we live on other planets? How does our amazing planet work? Few things capture our imaginations more than the mysteries of space and the wonders of our own planet. Society benefits from the pursuit of new knowledge: the search for life beyond Earth begins with understanding how our own planet works. The excitement of earth and space science offers a compelling hook for engaging the public in science and inspiring a new generation of innovators.

We DISCOVER

In today’s marketplace of ideas, SSI has been a pioneer in remote employment, a mode that has been particularly conducive to supporting researchers and, in turn, promoting discovery. In this environment, our science thrives. Scientists in our Research Branch are participating in robotic missions to Mars and Saturn and in space observatory missions such as Spitzer and Hubble. Our Flight Operations Branch is home to the Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for OperationS (CICLOPS). Led by Cassini Imaging Team leader Dr. Carolyn Porco, fourteen scientists from the United States and Europe are deepening our knowledge about Saturn and the processes by which planets – and whole planetary systems – form and develop.

We INSPIRE

SSI is in the “inspiration” business. The impact of our research and education programs is increased access to STEM learning for an audience that is cross-generational and often underserved. We don’t know who will be inspired to be a scientist, engineer, flight operations specialist, or maybe just a person who reads the paper with interest every day. What we do know is that our programs have the potential to ignite their curiosity and motivate them to continue learning.

We EDUCATE

Providing high quality STEM learning opportunities for all Americans is essential to creating an educated citizenry who understand the complex issues confronting our nation and the world. STEM professions and the pipelines that produce those professionals lack ethnic diversity, even as the nation is undergoing a significant demographic shift. SSI’s National Center for Interactive Learning is leading the way for a new generation of STEM education platforms that will make science accessible to new audiences. We foster collaboration between scientists and educators to bring the wonder of discovery directly to people wherever they are already engaged. We bridge the worlds of public schools, libraries, museums, and the Internet. Our programs span a range of audience needs and delivery methods, including traveling museum exhibitions; award-winning educational films, videos, and websites; hands-on teaching resources and activities; and educator workshops. We are now tapping into the enormous popularity of Facebook games to teach a large and diverse audience about the evolution of stars and planets. A simultaneous research and evaluation program will examine both the effectiveness of this game as a learning tool as well as the broader potential of this gaming approach for the educational community.

The map below shows where SSI employees are located in the United States.