NASA Invites Governors to Compete to be Home to the New U.S. Space Academy

NASA issued a Request for Information today inviting governors to indicate interest in hosting and sponsoring the new U.S. Space Academy proposed in President Trump’s recent Executive Order. Responses are due by October 26.

Trump signed the Executive Order on August 28 while at Johnson Space Center presenting the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the Artemis II crew.

The EO directs NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman to chair a commission to work out the details of a NASA-led, civilian government academic institution “dedicated to combining rigorous technical education with leadership development, discipline, and a durable commitment to public service” and “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 designated as the Vice Chairs, with NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson as Executive Director. Other members are Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, White House Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russell Vought, Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink, and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (NSC), a position held by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on an acting basis since May 2025.

They have 120 days to report back to the White House.

The commission met for the first time yesterday. Isaacman, Hegseth, Hassett and Meink were there, along with U.S. Chief Technology Office Ethan Klein representing Kratsios and representatives from OMB, NSC, and the White House.

Today’s Request for Information (RFI) gives interested states until 6:00 pm ET on Monday, October 26, to respond with details on what resources will be available to support the academy, location information, site readiness, environmental and regulatory considerations, and proximity and supporting ecosystems.

Groundbreaking will be “no later than 2027,” with interim solutions allowing for instruction to begin in 2028 and transitioning to a permanent campus by 2031.

At the JSC event, Trump joked that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) were already lobbying him for it.

I know where some people want it, that are in this audience. … this one guy over there, he’s lobbying me. Leave me alone. Just leave me alone. [laughs] I’m not sure he’s going to get it. I don’t know if he’s going to get it. But everybody wants it because it’s the hot thing. Space is the hot thing. I tell you, Ted Cruz and Brian, you guys are-they’re working too. I have to tell you. Just leave me alone, Ted. Please leave me alone. — President Trump

Cruz chairs the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee that oversees NASA in the Senate. Babin is his counterpart in the House, chairing the House Science, Space, and Technology  Committee. Babin represents JSC.

Another bold step by @POTUS to ensure America leads in space for generations to come. 🇺🇸🚀

And there’s no better place for the U.S. Space Academy than Houston — Space City, home to @NASA_Johnson and the heart of America’s human spaceflight program.

Let’s bring it to Texas!…

— Brian Babin (@RepBrianBabin) August 28, 2026

Florida’s Sen. Ashley Moody (R) and Rep. Mike Haridopolos (R), along with Sen. Rick Scott (R) and a long list of additional Florida House Republicans and Democrats, sent a letter to the White House on September 3 promoting Florida as the perfect location. NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and the U.S. Space Force’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station are there.

Alabama’s Rep. Dale Strong (R) reportedly said there were “discussions” about Huntsville, as well. He represents Huntsville, where NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center’s Space Camp are located.

Rep. George Whitesides (D-CA), former CEO of Virgin Galactic and a former NASA Chief of Staff, called it an “intriguing idea,” but pointed out that no members of Congress are on the Commission even though Congress has the definitive role in deciding whether to establish a new federal organization and where. He also questioned how much it will cost.

My quick thoughts on the US Space Academy:

The US Space Academy proposed today is an intriguing idea. Graduating classes of engineers and scientists dedicated to fulfilling public goals in space evokes the fictional Starfleet Academy.

In a time when most policy decisions from…

— George Whitesides (@gtwhitesides) August 29, 2026

In August 2019 during his first term, Trump reestablished U.S. Space Command and similarly invited states to compete to be the permanent location. A final decision wasn’t made until a year ago this month after a bruising 6-year battle between the bipartisan delegations of Alabama and Colorado. The ribbon-cutting was this past May and some personnel immediately began moving into temporary quarters there, but it will be 2031 before a new building is ready and another year after that before the transition is complete.