Reaching for the Stars - The Next Frontier in Education: Space Exploration

“It’s not the lack of ability that holds kids back, it’s the lack of opportunity.”
- Danny Kim, Founder, FullArmor Corp & CEO, Quest Institute

Making the impossible possible – the bedrock of most entrepreneurs, and Danny Kim is no exception. Through his innovation, the next frontier in education - Space Exploration (SE) is possible for all students, and revolutionizing education. SE encourages STEM and develops problem-solving skills. Above all, SE ignites wonder and curiosity even in the most apathetic of students, which has proven to significantly increase their desire and capacity to learn. Danny believes SE is the way to engage the next generation, especially those in underserved communities.

At the TBNA Conf 2024, Danny shared his journey on how he democratized access to SE for all students – a herculean task that even NASA said was impossible. Students at a US private school participated in the exciting program by creating experiments and flying them via rocket to the International Space Station (ISS), where they would be installed and run for a month before results got reported back. The program positively impacted the students, however, one rocket flight cost US$180,000.

Despite skepticism, Danny managed to get a team of engineers to build a system that could be installed permanently in the ISS, allowing students to upload experiments remotely. Now, students all around the world can conduct experiments for a small cost of $20 per experiment, making SE accessible and possible for all students.

In a world where numbers and results have become the sole goal of our education system, SE is an innovative and practical way to inspire a new generation of unmotivated and burnt-out students, particularly those who have fallen through the cracks. By giving them the ability to make possible what they thought was impossible, their whole outlook on education and their future is reformed, changing the trajectory of their whole lives, and opening up new pathways for them.

The program has since taught thousands of students globally, with the capacity to conduct up to 8 million experiments a year. Some of these students initially had no plans of attending college – they are now graduated and working in the industry. NASA extended a US$250,000 grant to expand the program, and it has been shared freely with failing students in underperforming schools, helping to turn their lives around. The program has now expanded to include a robotics platform, underwater platform, and a cybersecurity program.

Ultimately, education is all about expanding the mind. SE achieves this in unique ways that only it can. An entrepreneur democratized SE for all students because every kid deserves the opportunity for a bright future.