about us
What is Space Prize?
Space Prize is a global contest to promote the advancement of women in STEAM, specifically in aerospace.
GRAND PRIZES
Two grand prize winners will each recEIve
ZERO-G Flight
USA
Individual and group mentorship from a successful female leader.
Land-based EVA Training
STAR CITY, RUSSIA
Orbite Astronaut Orientation
FLORIDA, USA
A subsidy for STEAM / Space focused programs for her school / district.
Spaceship Neptune
FLORIDA, USA
Executive team
KIM MACHARIA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
“I am passionate about this project because empowering young women is essential to addressing the stark gender disparities that plague the space industry.”
DR. MARK WAGNER
PRESIDENT
“I am passionate about preparing today's students to participate in the growing space economy and in humanity's rapidly approaching multiplanet future.”
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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Roman Chiporukha
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Eddie Miller
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Susanne Moore
“We are passionate about this project because it is imperative that everyone understands the role that space plays in preserving and improving life on Earth.”
WHY WOMEN
Despite sixty years of space exploration, gender inequality has historically kept women from being equally represented in the space industry.
Of the nearly 600 people who have traveled to space, less than 12% were women.
Only 24% of aerospace employees are women (Aviation Week study).
Only about 20% of senior roles in the space industry were held by women in 2020.
At NASA, women make up only about 1/3 of the workforce, 28% percent of senior leadership positions, and 16% of scientific employees.
Together we can change these statistics and make gender equity in space a reality for the next generation.
Many women have influenced the space industry in the past sixty years.
Katherine Johnson
NASA Mathematician
Kathy Sullivan
NASA Astronaut & Geologist
Ellen Ochoa
NASA Astronaut & Director
Rosaly Lopes
Geologist & Volcanologist
Mary Jackson
NASA Engineer
Valentina Tereshkova
Astronaut
Gwynne Shotwell
President of SpaceX
Christa Mcauliffe
American teacher & Astronaut
"Human spaceflight cannot develop any further without the active participation of women."
— cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova
Valentina made history as the first woman in space. In 1963, she piloted the Vostok 6 spacecraft around Earth, alone, orbiting our planet for 48 hours.