Columbia Space Initiative
The Columbia Space Initiative (CSI) is a student group dedicated to space projects on campus. CSI competes in NASA challenges, do outreach and provide members with networking in the space science field. It was founded in September 2015 (unsurprisingly) with the help of professor and former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino. CSI has participated in three NASA challenges (Micro-g NExT, RASCAL and BIG), launched its own model rockets and balloons. CSI organizes many events across campus, including live call-ins with the International Space Station and talks with prominent people in the space domain such as former astronauts and NASA employees.
As of May 2025, the club's website listed 12 active missions and 629 active members, and has been funded for a CubeSat launch in 2027.
