Astra Nova School Born at SpaceX, Astra Nova is an online school for kind, curious, and daring kids. Apply Now High School ages 14–18, worldwide Middle School ages 11–14, worldwide Next Rocket Launch ... --:--:-- Our Mission A generation of kids who contribute good to the world. We look for students who work hard and love to learn . We hire faculty at the cutting edge of their field who love to teach. We design each year, anew, built on first principles and try to answer the question: what actually matters Courses This Term We want our students to both understand the big picture and have a strong technical foundation. Astra Nova creates new courses 3x a year, and students typically take between 4 and 16 class hours per week. FAQ How Astra Nova Works Explain Astra Nova most simply. A space age education. great teachers smart classmates meaningful classes momentous experiences We look for exceptional people who understand the frontier of their field — they have intuitions about where things are going and design classes around the most essential knowledge and skills. Talented students from around the world enroll in live online supplemental classes (2–11 hours/week) or join our comprehensive program (12+ hours/week). Our ambitious goal: students who are ready to contribute value to teams working on the world's hardest problems. What kind of school is Astra Nova? Astra Nova is an online, non-profit, WASC-accredited school. We have a middle school (ages 11–14) and high school (ages 14–18). Astra Nova is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is founder-driven and supported by an independent Board of Trustees. How many students are in Astra Nova? Astra Nova has 315 middle school students from 45 countries. Astra Nova will launch its high school in the 2026/2027 school year. How are classes taught? All courses are taught live in English on Zoom — class sizes generally range from 6–16 students. What is the Astra Nova community like? We are a small community of kind, curious, and ambitious people working together on big ideas. Any insights we glean from our school, we humbly share with the world. Conundrums and Synthesis are two projects born at Astra Nova that have impacted millions of students to date. Astra Nova is widely recognized as one of the most innovative schools in the world — expect new ideas each term. What courses do you offer? We create new classes each term. Here is a glimpse of courses offered in a previous semester: Winter 2026 Courses What about math? Our faculty teach Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and Pre-Calculus. We work with Art of Problem Solving to support students who need a different math class. Do you provide transcripts and college support? We provide guidance and support, including Astra Nova transcripts and letters of recommendation. Many Astra Nova graduates attend the most selective boarding and day schools in the country. When are classes? Classes are held in seven one-hour blocks, Monday through Friday. Once accepted, register for the blocks that fit your family's schedule. Most students take between 4 and 16 class hours per week for the duration of the school year. Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri How often do classes meet and for how long? Some classes meet 1x per week while others meet 2 or more times a week. Math, for example, meets for 4 hours each week for the duration of the school year. Each block is 60 minutes long. 2026/2027 School Calendar Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 Off ↓ Download Calendar (.ics) Term 1 Aug 26 – Dec 11 First Day of School Wed, Aug 26 No School Mon, Sep 7 No School Mon, Sep 21 No School Thu–Fri, Oct 1–2 No School Mon, Oct 19 Thanksgiving Break Mon–Fri, Nov 23–27 Last Day of Term 1 Thu, Dec 11 ⏱ Nov 2 — class times shift to UTC −8 (PST) Term 2 Jan 4 – Mar 12 Winter Break Mon Dec 14 – Fri Jan 1 First Day of Term 2 Mon, Jan 4 No School Mon, Jan 18 No School Fri, Feb 12 No School Mon–Tue, Feb 15–16 Last Day of Term 2 Fri, Mar 12 ⏱ Mar 8 — class times shift to UTC −7 (PDT) Term 3 Mar 29 – Jun 2 Spring Break Mar 13 – Mar 28 First Day of Term 3 Mon, Mar 29 No School Thu, May 27 Last Day (Part-Time Students) Fri, May 28 No School Mon, May 31 Last Day of School Tue, Jun 2 Beach Party in LA Fri, Jun 4 Museum Morning in LA Sat, Jun 5 How much does Astra Nova cost? Tuition covers the full school year — August through June — and is the same for middle school and high school in 2026/2027. Enrollment is structured in tiers based on weekly class hours. Hours / week Annual tuition 2 hrs $4,800 3–4 hrs $9,600 5–7 hrs $14,400 8–11 hrs $24,000 12–15 hrs $31,200 16+ hrs $36,000 Eligible for in-person experiences ✦ In-person experiences are offered at cost. Financial support is available for qualifying families. Our independence and mission Astra Nova is a nonprofit tuition-based school — we do not have an annual fund, we do not actively solicit donations from families, and we do not receive money from state or federal governments. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founder-driven and supported by an independent Board of Trustees. Tuition pays for teachers' salaries, student supplies, and program expenses. It is critically important to us that family finances should not prevent a child from attending Astra Nova. From the earliest days of Ad Astra to today, we have met 100% of demonstrated financial need for all families. How does financial aid work? We use Clarity , a financial aid system used by some of the best private schools in the country. It is designed to be streamlined, fair, and easy to use. For most families the process takes less than 20 minutes and can be completed on a mobile device. Once a family successfully completes the financial aid application, we are bound by our Board of Directors to honor the tuition amount that Clarity calculates. We share all financial aid offers at the time of acceptance. How do I apply for financial aid? Apply to the school before the next deadline. If invited to the next round and you would like to be considered for financial aid, complete the Clarity process here: Clarity Application Clarity charges a non-refundable application fee of $60. Astra Nova purchases fee waivers for applicants with total family incomes of $75,000 or less — email tara@astranova.org to request one. Financial aid integrity We are unapologetically judicious with the financial aid we give out. We expect everyone in the Astra Nova community to operate with the highest standard of integrity. If that trust is breached, we will not be able to move forward with your family. Does Astra Nova have in-person experiences? Yes. In addition to being an online school, Astra Nova offers optional in-person experiences throughout the year — immersive, hands-on trips designed to deepen learning and bring the community together. ✦ Specific destinations vary each year — examples below are illustrative Middle School 2 Trips Per Year Available to Level B & C students Sea Camp San Diego, California Multi-day Space Camp Huntsville, Alabama Multi-day Available to middle school students enrolled at Level B or Level C. High School Weeklong Experiences Graduation Track students TBA 1 week TBA 1 week Corporate Collaborative El Segundo, California 1 week Available to high school students on the Graduation Track. The Corporate Collaborative places students inside a real company for a week — the partner varies each year. All Families End of Year Events Early June · Los Angeles Los Angeles Gathering Beach Party Hermosa Beach, CA Museum Morning Los Angeles, CA The entire Astra Nova community — students, families, and faculty — is invited to Los Angeles in early June to spend a few days together. Astra Nova in the press Josh Dahn on Rethinking Education from First Principles Podcast Podcast The Future of Learning Video School at SpaceX Video SpaceX Cadets New York Magazine Article How Astra Nova School Is Working on the Future of Learning Wall Street Journal Article Astra Nova — Apply Admissions Apply in three steps We think a single "admissions season" is an outdated idea and charging money to apply is silly. We accept applications year-round and review submissions twice a year. Application Deadline October 15, 2026 For enrollment starting in January 2027 Conundrums Response Students pick one Conundrum to answer. Upload a video (preferred) or audio file between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. We want to hear how your child reasons through the question. NASA Dragon Ferry Bird Photo Moonshot Parent Letter Tell us about your family. What are you looking for in a school and what do you hope to find at Astra Nova? No more than one page — think of it as a short email. Upload Documents Fill out the basic information on the application and upload the CONUNDRUMS RESPONSE and PARENT LETTER. Typically, about half of applicants move to the next round of the admissions process. Apply Now What happens next? October 15 Deadline November 1 Group Interviews December 15 Final Decisions January 4 Classes Begin We meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for all families. Accepting applications High School For 12 years, the #1 request from families has been to build a high school. Starting in August of 2026, we are accepting students for a 3–4 year graduation-track program pairing rigorous academics with real-world experience. Application deadline October 15, 2026 Apply Now Three levels of high school enrollment — click to explore Open Enrollment 2–5 hours / week · Courses only ✓ Courses — Intensives — Corporate Collaboratives Courses Online · August – May 2–5 hrs / week High school level courses open to any enrolled student Mix and match across any subject area No commitment to a specific curriculum path Open Enrollment 6+ hours / week · Courses + In-person Intensives ✓ Courses ✓ Intensives — Corporate Collaboratives Courses Online · August – May 6+ hrs / week High school level courses open to any enrolled student Mix and match across any subject area No commitment to a specific curriculum path Intensives In-person · 2 weeks per year Two momentous workweeks a year Intensive experiences that build skills and intuitions In-person from morning until night Make friends and form foundational memories Graduation Track 12+ hours / week · Full 3–4 year program ✓ Courses ✓ Intensives ✓ Corporate Collaboratives Courses Online · August – May 12+ hrs / week Rigorous technical courses — biotechnology, physics, engineering, artificial intelligence Courses in conversation with the wisdom of humanity — great literature, philosophy, mental models, history Intensives In-person · 2 weeks per year Two momentous workweeks a year Intensive experiences that build skills and intuitions In-person from morning until night Make friends and form foundational memories Corporate Collaboratives On-site · 1 week per year Work on real problems at companies pushing the frontier Embed in the culture of a company solving difficult problems Understand team dynamics and the interplay of details and big-picture realities Directly interact with the real world Accepting applications Middle School Open courses, uniquely designed, to explore the frontiers of knowledge and help students build the skills to make any team better Ages 11–14  ·  Students from 45 countries ·  Class sizes 6–16  ·  Taught live in English on Zoom Application deadline October 15, 2026 Apply Now Three levels of middle school enrollment — click to explore Supplemental 2–7 hours / week · Courses only ✓ Courses — In-person Experiences Courses Online · August – May 2–7 hrs / week Mix and match courses across any subject area No commitment to a specific curriculum path Browse this term's courses → Supplemental + In-Person Experiences 8–11 hours / week · Courses + In-person Camps ✓ Courses ✓ In-person Experiences Courses Online · August – May 8–11 hrs / week Mix and match courses across any subject area No commitment to a specific curriculum path Browse this term's courses → In-Person Experiences 2 trips per year Sea Camp San Diego, California Multi-day Space Camp Huntsville, Alabama Multi-day Meet your classmates and build lasting relationships. Specific destinations vary each year. Comprehensive + In-Person Experiences 12+ hours / week · Full program · Math + In-person Experiences ✓ Courses ✓ In-person Experiences ✓ Math at Astra Nova Courses Online · August – May 12+ hrs / week Mix and match courses across any subject area No commitment to a specific curriculum path Browse this term's courses → In-Person Experiences 2 trips per year Sea Camp San Diego, California Multi-day Space Camp Huntsville, Alabama Multi-day Meet your classmates and build lasting relationships. Specific destinations vary each year. Math At Astra Nova · Full year Math taught directly at Astra Nova for the full duration of the school year Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, and beyond Best preparation for Astra Nova High School Our Story School at a rocket factory. 2014 Ad Astra Founded Josh co-founds Ad Astra at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, CA — a school designed from first principles for children of SpaceX employees and LA-based families. 2014 – 2020 School at SpaceX For six years, Ad Astra operates inside SpaceX — developing a curriculum built on genuine curiosity, problem-solving, and intellectual courage. Conundrums and Synthesis are born here. 2020 Astra Nova Founded The school becomes Astra Nova — an independent, online, nonprofit school open to students around the world. The same teachers, the same ideas, initially available to students ages 10–14. 2021 Conundrums Launched Astra Nova partners with ClassDojo to bring Conundrums — our signature activity in constructive disagreement about big ideas — to millions of kids around the world. 2022 In-Person Experiences Astra Nova organizes annual in-person experiences for students to spend time with their classmates and teachers. To date, we've been to Catalina Island, Santa Barbara, Space Camp in Huntsville Alabama, and CERN in Geneva. Today Astra Nova High School Astra Nova High School opens in August 2026 — for students who want to work at the cutting edge of science, technology, and the ideas shaping our future. The founders Josh Dahn Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director Dr. Rosemary Rohde Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director Tara Safronoff Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director The first article written about Ad Astra declared that it was "the most exclusive school in the world." We had been operating for less than two months with nine students and two full-time teachers. A few years later, The Washington Post said that we "created a secretive 'laboratory school' for brilliant kids who love flamethrowers." The school was exclusive because it was small. It was secretive because it wasn't properly zoned. The kids were bright, but kindness and eagerness to learn (and parents that worked at SpaceX) were the only criteria for admission. We had a chemistry lab but not flamethrowers. The location at a rocket factory and our association with Elon Musk made Ad Astra one-of-a-kind. But beyond the hype and hyperbole, Ad Astra was special because we had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to design a school from first principles . We did not have limitations of any mandated structure or curriculum. Our only directive from Elon was to "make it great." And from the terror and opportunity of that challenge, Astra Nova was born. If you go through a school-design thought experiment, it's almost impossible not to end up with something that echoes a traditional school. You can eschew traditional subjects, but one way or another, you end up with some form of math, reading, writing, and science. And if like me, you have the opportunity to hire brilliant colleagues who are experts in their fields, you do so without hesitation. But it's quite easy to fool yourself into believing that you are creating an innovative school that can scale to the world when you've only leveraged your advantages in a limited setting. Providing a superlative experience and rich learning community for a few dozen families is not trivial, but it falls woefully short of our mission. True success, in my mind, is the extent that we design better learning experiences for students that are not our own. We do this directly by scaling ideas like Conundrums and Synthesis, and we do this indirectly by giving schools around the world some cover to try bold experiments. If Astra Nova does it, perhaps there is a principal or superintendent or politician that will empower educators to design more schools that children love. At Astra Nova, we make progress by challenging ourselves to be maniacally creative ; we design each year anew. And we focus our energy on what really matters to the development of our students: their disposition towards learning and complexity, their ability to work effectively in teams, and their capacity to make ethical decisions. Every class and experience starts with these principles. So I humbly welcome you to Astra Nova School — an eleven-year experiment that has been the challenge and joy of my life. We are a small team of dedicated educators and entrepreneurs who work with around 300 students across our programs. Ad Astra was the school at SpaceX that served 50 students; Astra Nova is the online school that aims to reach millions by sharing the insights from our work. — Josh Dahn March 1, 2026 Hello, World! Teach at Astra Nova Join Our Faculty We are looking for people at the cutting edge of their field who want to work with curious and capable middle and high school students. Apply to Teach Get in Touch Questions about admissions, courses, or anything else? We'd love to hear from you. josh@astranova.org Conundrums Watch Conundrums Explore our library of Conundrums — short thought experiments designed to spark independent thinking. YouTube Channel Racially Nondiscriminatory Policy as to Students: Astra Nova School admits students of any race, color, national, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, and scholarship programs. Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: Astra Nova School provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to employees and applicants. Employment at Astra Nova School is based solely on the person's merit and qualifications. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant based on race, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, or any other basis protected by law. We comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws related to nondiscrimination and employment. Image Credits: Don Petit, NASA. USGS. Tomoko Sato.