NASA Opens State Competition to Host New U.S. Space Academy

NASA issued a Request for Information on September 10 inviting governors to indicate interest in hosting and sponsoring the new U.S. Space Academy proposed in President Trump's recent Executive Order. States have until 6:00 pm ET on Monday, October 26, to respond. The move turns site selection for the proposed federal institution into a competition among states.

The academy stems from an Executive Order Trump signed on August 28 at Johnson Space Center, where he presented the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the Artemis II crew. The order directs NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman to chair a commission tasked with designing a NASA-led civilian government academic institution described as dedicated to combining rigorous technical education with leadership development, discipline, and a durable commitment to public service, and to develop a professional corps of civically grounded leaders prepared to advance American interests within the space domain.

Michael Kratsios, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, and Kevin Hassett, Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, were named Vice Chairs, with NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson as Executive Director. Other commission members include Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, OMB Director Russell Vought, Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink, and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, a role held by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on an acting basis. The commission has 120 days to report to the White House and met for the first time on September 9.

The RFI asks interested states to detail available resources, location information, site readiness, environmental and regulatory considerations, and proximity and supporting ecosystems. Groundbreaking is set for no later than 2027, with interim solutions allowing instruction to begin in 2028 and a permanent campus by 2031.

Lobbying has already started. At the JSC event, Trump joked that Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Brian Babin were pressing him for the academy, telling Cruz to "leave me alone." Cruz chairs the Senate committee overseeing NASA, Babin chairs the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee and represents JSC. Babin publicly urged bringing the academy to Houston. Florida's Sen. Ashley Moody, Rep. Mike Haridopolos, Sen. Rick Scott, and other members of the state's delegation sent a letter to the White House on September 3 promoting Florida, home to Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Alabama's Rep. Dale Strong reportedly said there were discussions about Huntsville, home to Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center's Space Camp.

Rep. George Whitesides, a former NASA Chief of Staff, called the academy an intriguing idea but noted no members of Congress sit on the commission, even though Congress has the definitive role in deciding whether to establish a new federal organization and where. He also questioned the cost.

The process echoes Trump's first term, when he reestablished U.S. Space Command in August 2019 and invited states to compete for the permanent location. That decision took a year to reach and followed a six-year battle between the delegations of Alabama and Colorado, with a ribbon-cutting this past May and a permanent building not expected until 2031.

State responses are due October 26. The commission must report to the White House within 120 days of its formation, with groundbreaking set for no later than 2027.