States gain a time-limited chance to host the new United States Space Academy, with NASA targeting a groundbreaking no later than 2027.
The opportunity follows President Donald Trump’s Aug. 28, 2026 executive order establishing the academy. NASA convened the Presidential Commission charged with designing the institution and on Sept. 9 held the panel’s first meeting at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The agency also issued a Request for Information to solicit site proposals from governors or their designees, setting a deadline of 6 p.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman chaired the commission meeting and invited officials from across the federal government to join the planning effort. Participants listed at the session included U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, Secretary of the United States Air Force Troy Meink, and U.S. Chief Technology Officer Ethan Klein representing Michael Kratsios. Representatives from the Office of Management and Budget, the National Security Council, and the White House also attended. “Our first Commission meeting made clear how much talent and commitment we have behind President Trump’s vision for the U.S. Space Academy,” Isaacman said. “I’m grateful to our partners across government for getting right to work. Now, with the RFI underway, states across the country have an opportunity to help us shape a legacy institution built for America’s future in space.”
Commission members began sketching governance, curriculum, service commitments, partnerships, and implementation steps. NASA is asking states to submit proposals that document site readiness, existing infrastructure, environmental and regulatory issues, and the surrounding ecosystem of industry, education, and community support. Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson stressed the campus must attract top students and align with the academy’s stated ambitions.
The commission operates under a 120-day mandate that started with the Aug. 28 executive order. The RFI frames an accelerated schedule: a groundbreaking no later than 2027, temporary housing for the first 300 students in 2028, and a permanent campus operational by 2031. What comes next is procedural: states prepare a single application through a governor-designated channel, the commission evaluates proposals within its statutory timeframe, and recommendations will be transmitted to the President to set the academy’s initial location and structure.
