Three Cities. Three Immersions. 9 Credits of Field Experience.
Each immersion has a distinct purpose and they build on each other. Florida teaches you how rockets get built, tested, and launched. Texas puts you inside mission control and next-generation development sites. Washington, D.C.: Meet leadership at NASA HQ, Space Force, and the FAA. You're the expert now. Brief congressional staffers on the policy you have been analyzing.
By the end, you have walked the full value chain -- pad to policy -- firsthand. Few graduate programs offer this breadth of industry access.
Immersion locations and site visits are planned based on current partner relationships. Access is subject to facility availability and security requirements. Specific activities may vary by cohort.
The Route
Coast to Coast, Pad to Policy
Each immersion builds on the last. You start where rockets launch, move through the rooms where missions are controlled, and finish where national space strategy is written. Click a pin to explore.
3
Immersions
9
Total Credits
20+
Site Visits
3
States
Immersion 1
Florida Space Coast
“Where rockets leave the ground and your understanding of space hardware becomes visceral”
Your first immersion drops you at the epicenter of American launch. Stand close enough to a pad to feel the concrete vibrate during a countdown. Walk through vehicle integration buildings where rockets taller than office towers are assembled horizontally and rotated vertical for flight. Tour defense sensor labs where engineers show you the satellites they built with their own hands. This is not a museum trip — you see the full chain from raw hardware to ignition and leave understanding how launch economics, range scheduling, and manifest pressure actually work. Connects directly to Module 1 (Space Systems) and Module 3 (Venture Finance).
Cape Canaveral & Kennedy Space Center
Planned: launch operations briefings and historic facility tours
Patrick Space Force Base
Planned: military space operations briefing
Commercial Launch Complex
Rocket integration and launch cadence operations
National Security Launch Facility
National security launch provider
Launch Vehicle Manufacturing Facility
Next-generation vehicle development
Defense Sensor & Satellite Lab
Space sensor and satellite systems
Advanced Manufacturing Launch Site
Next-generation launch site and integration facilities at Cape Canaveral
Melbourne Startup Ecosystem
Space Coast venture community
Immersion 2
Houston + South Texas
“Where operational reality meets next-generation ambition”
Sit in the row behind the flight director in Mission Control while controllers talk to the ISS crew 250 miles overhead. Walk through the astronaut training complex where crews rehearse spacewalks in a 40-foot-deep pool. Meet the engineers building the next commercial space station — then drive four hours south to watch the largest rocket ever built undergo cryogenic testing against the Gulf Coast sky. The contrast between NASA's institutional rigor and South Texas's startup speed will reshape how you think about operations. Connects directly to Module 5 (Space Operations) and Module 2 (Data & AI Strategy).
NASA Johnson Space Center
Planned: mission control visit, astronaut training complex, ISS operations briefing
Commercial Space Station Developer
Next-generation commercial space station development
Lunar Lander Program
Lunar lander development and CLPS program
Crew Vehicle Training Center
Crew training simulators and mission operations center
South Texas Launch & Development Site
Super heavy-lift rocket development, test, and launch
Immersion 3
Washington, D.C.
“Where you present your work to the people who write space policy”
Your final immersion is your capstone moment. Walk into a congressional office and brief staffers on the Commerce and Armed Services committees about a space policy issue you have spent months analyzing. Sit across the table from leadership at NASA Headquarters and U.S. Space Force. Discuss launch licensing with the regulators who approve every commercial mission. Then stand in front of a panel of industry executives and government leaders and defend your capstone. You arrive as a student. You leave as someone who has briefed the Hill, engaged agency leadership, and demonstrated what cross-disciplinary thinking looks like in practice. Connects directly to Module 6 (Design & Policy) and the Capstone Venture Sprint.
NASA Headquarters
Agency leadership and program management
U.S. Space Force Headquarters
Military space strategy and operations
FAA Commercial Space Transportation
Launch licensing and safety regulation
Congressional Offices
Planned: meetings with Commerce & Armed Services committee staff
CSIS Aerospace Security Project
Space policy think tank
Secure World Foundation
Space sustainability and governance
Capstone Demo Day
Final project presentations to industry & government panels
The Journey
From Launch Pad to Policy Table: Your 12-Month Journey
Florida Space Coast
Fall
3 credits · 8 site visits
Houston + South Texas
Spring
3 credits · 5 site visits
Washington, D.C.
Summer
3 credits · 7 site visits
Go Where the Industry Actually Happens
Immersions are exclusive to MSTS degree students. Site access and programming fees are included in your tuition. Travel, lodging, and meals are the student's responsibility. The founding cohort is limited to 30 seats.
These aren't field trips. This is the real world. Reserve your place on the launch pad, in mission control, and at the policy table.