Structure Overview
This page outlines how Astronautica Cooperative could be organized once it moves beyond ideation. The structure is intentionally lightweight right now—more like scaffolding. We will replace placeholders with concrete processes as we build legal foundations, recruit members, and test collaboration rituals.
Think of everything here as a blueprint. Each component includes a list of what still needs to happen before it can become real.
Organizational layers (proposed)
Astronautica will likely need three layers to stay aligned: member assemblies, operational arms, and mission squads. None of these exist yet; this table is a planning artifact.
Astronautica Foundation
Mission guardian. Holds IP, brand, and strategic direction. Board includes the founder (permanent seat), cooperative-elected representatives, and independent advisors.
Arms: Think Tank, Signal & Story, Legal
Astronautica Cooperative
Member-owned body with democratic governance. Members vote on training standards, mission criteria, and operational protocols through the General Assembly.
Arms: Training, Operations, Engineering, Alliance
Astronautica Ventures
Investment arm running a full pipeline: pitch competitions → incubator → accelerator → strategic fund. Returns flow to the Foundation's mission funding pool.
Programs: Pipeline, Strategic Fund, Grants
Mission Squads are cross-entity teams formed for specific deliverables. They draw from any arm, ship an outcome, and disband with a published retrospective.
Growth phases (draft roadmap)
The phases below help us think about sequencing. We will keep refining milestones as we gather more data about required effort, cost, and regulatory hurdles.
Phase 0 · Formation
Document vision, research cooperative and foundation law, build knowledge base and community tools, recruit advisors.
Output: (You are here.)
Phase 1 · Foundation + Cooperative
Incorporate the Foundation first. Form the Cooperative under it. Stand up provisional governance. Recruit founding cohort of 5–15 members.
Output: legal entity, charter, first arms active, dues flowing.
Phase 2 · Capability Building + Ventures
Activate mission squads. Launch Astronautica Ventures when capital and deal flow exist. Pilot training programs. Build industry partnerships.
Output: investment pipeline, training, partners, simulations.
Phase 3 · Cooperative Missions
Execute cooperative spaceflight activities. Members train, qualify, and fly as crew. Collect data. Publish the playbook.
Output: proof the model works, data, replicable framework.
Governance draft
Governance is currently a concept doc. The table summarizes intended decision-making bodies and what we still need in order to launch them.
| Body | Mandate | Cadence (draft) | Open Tasks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation Board | Set strategic direction, protect mission integrity, approve entity-level decisions. | Quarterly | Founder permanent seat. Cooperative elects 2–3 reps. Independent advisors appointed by board. |
| General Assembly | Approve cooperative strategy, budgets, and risk thresholds. Elect Mission Control Council. | Quarterly | Draft bylaws, choose voting mechanism, identify facilitators. |
| Mission Control Council | Sequence work across cooperative arms, monitor safety, publish updates. | Bi-weekly | Define steward roles, create decision log template, test async tools. |
| Risk Review Board | Audit legal, financial, and operational risk across all entities. | Monthly | Recruit advisors, set escalation paths, create reporting format. |
| Ventures GP / LP Advisory | Guide investment thesis, review fund performance, oversee GP accountability. | Quarterly | Establish when Ventures launches. Define LP terms and fund governance. |
Member journey (to be validated)
This is a speculative path showing how someone might progress once the cooperative is live. It is a conversation starter, not a finalized policy.
Orientation
Attend a mission briefing, review values, and pick an initial arm.
Needs: onboarding materials, facilitator roster.
Contributor
Join a committee or guild, complete a 30-day activation sprint, document contributions.
Needs: contribution tracking, mentor network.
Steward
Lead projects, support new members, and represent the arm in councils.
Needs: stewardship criteria, rotation schedule.
Flight Candidate
Undergo readiness assessments, cross-train, and integrate with mission squads.
Needs: medical protocol, training infrastructure, insurance plan.
The member journey exists within the Astronautica Cooperative, which is governed by the Foundation's mission and charter. Members progress from orientation through contribution to stewardship, with the ultimate path leading to flight candidacy for cooperative missions.
Open tasks & next questions
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Draft a minimum viable charter that incorporates governance structures above.
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Interview cooperative law experts to validate jurisdiction assumptions.
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Prototype an onboarding flow and gather feedback from early supporters.
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Decide on documentation tooling that supports open access and version control.
Contributors are welcome to propose edits or add new tasks. The structure will likely shift as we learn more—expect this page to change frequently.