Born at SpaceX, Astra Nova is an online school for
kind, curious, and daring kids.
Next Rocket Launch | ... | --:--:--

Our mission Astra Nova

A generation of kids who contribute good to the world.

Students
Those who are curious, work hard, and love to learn
Teachers
Those who currently work in their field and love to teach
School
Designed anew each year from first principles
FAQ
How Astra Nova Works
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.
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We think a single "admissions season" is an outdated idea and charging money to apply is silly.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
1

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.

2

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.

3

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.

What happens next?
October 15Deadline
November 1Group Interviews
December 15Final 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
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
Courses
Online · August – May
8+ 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
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
Courses
Online · August – May
2–7 hrs / week
Courses
Online · August – May
8–11 hrs / week
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.

Courses
Online · August – May
12+ hrs / week
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

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
Josh Dahn
Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director
Dr. Rosemary Rohde
Dr. Rosemary Rohde
Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director
Tara Safronoff
Tara Safronoff
Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director
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
Contact Us
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