“I want students to come to �鶹ӳ����ý knowing they can participate in an industry that’s about to take off, no matter what field they’re interested in. This is the place to launch the next stage of your career.” — Greg Autry,  �鶹ӳ����ý’s associate provost for space commercialization

A national leader in online education, and the top supplier of talent to the nation’s aerospace and defense industries, �鶹ӳ����ý launched a in Spring 2026. It aims to meet the expanding needs of the booming industry on Florida’s Space Coast and around the world. Graduates will emerge ready to shape a fast-growing, high-impact global industry, applying their skills across aerospace, commercial space, government, startups and emerging tech.

“We have world-class researchers, direct connections to the space industry and the very best location,” says Greg Autry, creator of the pioneering program and associate provost for space commercialization and strategy at �鶹ӳ����ý.  “I want students to come to �鶹ӳ����ý knowing they can participate in an industry that’s about to take off, no matter what field they’re interested in. This is the place to launch the next stage of your career.”

The space MBA merges the university’s excellence in both space and online education to develop forward-thinking leaders ready to shape the future of the space sector. This part-time, fully online graduate business program spans 24 months and blends core MBA courses with four specialized electives in space entrepreneurship, governmental and commercial space finance, space leadership and the global space domain. With its flexible, asynchronous format, students can learn from anywhere on Earth — or even in orbit.

At the forefront of this future-ready pathway is Zaheer Ali, a new instructor in the College of Business, and program director of �鶹ӳ����ý’s space commercialization and strategy initiative. He spent more than a decade at NASA and previously led space efforts across the defense and national security enterprise.

“The space industry isn’t the future. It’s happening now. Our new space MBA will put talent at the center of that movement.”— Paul Jarley, �鶹ӳ����ý College of Business dean

Ali is ready to guide the next generation of space business leaders at SpaceU — and he’s hoping to recruit students from every major to find their place in space.“I’m here helping build what I think is the greatest program in the world for space

business,” Ali says. “Our students are … given direct access to leaders in every aspect of space, creating a space network for them that will be unmatched by graduates of any other program.”

Through more than 25 years of providing highly ranked online degrees, �鶹ӳ����ý is a trusted source for innovative academic programs and pathways, and is recognized among the nation’s leaders in online education. Courses across more than 130 fully online degree programs are led by world-class faculty with extensive industry and academic experience, equipped to prepare students to succeed in their

careers and advance their fields. “The space industry isn’t the future. It’s happening now. Our new space MBA will put talent at the center of that movement,” says Paul Jarley, dean of the College of Business, which houses the program. As the business school at Florida’s Technological University, our goal is not just to fuel the talent pipeline, but to help shape the market — even if it’s in space.

In this newly created role, Ali will help drive development and implementation of a strategic roadmap aimed at strengthening �鶹ӳ����ý’s role in space commercialization.   This includes expanding �鶹ӳ����ý’s network of industry partnerships and collaborating with state leaders and the State University System to develop the talent needed to sustain and advance Florida’s leadership in the space sector.

“Professor Ali is a pioneer in space leadership education,” says Greg Autry, associate provost of space commercialization and strategy at �鶹ӳ����ý. “He goes above and beyond as an educator working hard to help his students network and build successful careers in the space industry.”

Ali will work closely with Autry and continue his work should Autry be confirmed as chief financial officer at NASA.

Ali also will contribute to the ongoing development of educational programming that aligns the college’s mission to prepare the next generation of space-focused business leaders with industry needs. Last week �鶹ӳ����ý launched the online space MBA as a premier program for professionals looking to advance their careers in the rapidly growing space economy.

“It is an honor to join the team at �鶹ӳ����ý to help launch the first true space MBA,” Ali says. “Given �鶹ӳ����ý’s origins as a workforce development partner for NASA, its history as premier research and applied technology institution, and its location near the Space Coast, we are perfectly positioned to become the world leader in education for space and create the leaders who will take humanity into a new age of exploration and opportunity. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the College of Business and �鶹ӳ����ý community as we truly become Space U.”

Ali has held executive roles at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, where he led global strategy for high performance computing and advised numerous space startups, including Pulsar Space, Magdrive, Parsimoni, ThinkOrbital, Paterson Aerospace and Space Railway. He is a frequent speaker on topics such as space innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technology, the future of work and enterprise agility.

Earlier in his career, Ali served as senior manager at the Universities Space Research Association, leading efforts in aviation data science, AI, quantum science and nanotechnology for NASA Ames. He was a senior member of the project management office for NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, overseeing software development, safety and quality, laboratory buildouts and international science ground operations.

He has a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of California Berkely and an executive master of global management from Thunderbird School of Global Management.

The Online Space MBA starts Spring 2026 with a Dec. 1 application deadline. For more information about the program, visit .