We are seeking funding from corporate sponsors or private individuals. International research organisations and donors to the third world will also be approached but an unique funding opportunity exists for a range of corporate sponsers.

See our CONTACT page if you are interested in having your brand prominently represented on an iconic structure.

We emphasise that both ASSA and the Durban Space Science Centre are non-profit organisations dedicated to the promotion of public awareness of astronomy and space science. 

The value proposition for sponsors is the massive exposure of their brand on a very public building - the advertising opportunity is unparalleled.

In terms of ongoing costs, the aim in building a space science centre and planetarium is not to generate profit. Very few, if any, planetariums generate more money than they cost, when all the direct and indirect costs are taken into account.

 But then, neither do most libraries nor museums but the case for those has been extensively acknowledged.

The educational role of the Space Science Centre is enhanced by the ability of the stimulating planetarium environment to inspire enthusiasm for science; awe at the marvels of the universe; new perspectives on our world and civilization; and for the first time, the opportunity to share with professional astronomers the distant images that hold the secrets of the cosmos. In this sense a planetarium and observatory is of no less cultural importance than a library or museum. These educational and cultural institutions are not, by nature, for-profit businesses - at least not in the monetary sense. The 'profits' that they generate are more enlightened citizens who live more enriched lives.

To their credit, however, many planetariums can and do recover large portions of their operating expenses from ticket sales, facility rentals, gift shop sales, and financial grants. The viability of the enterprise is greatly enhanced by two main advantages that the Durban Space Science Centre has over other planetariums: The incorporation of an online digital observatory, and the enormously improved cost effectiveness and efficiency of modern digital equipment when compared with currently-used optical-mechanical systems.