Space Academy Update: NASA Sets the Rules, States Start Bidding, and a Florida Bill Tries to End the Contest

What changed: The U.S. Space Academy has moved from an executive order to a site competition with rules and a deadline. The Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy held its first meeting on September 9. The next day NASA published a Request for Information (RFI) inviting each state to submit one official response on hosting the academy, due by 5 p.m. Central Time on Monday, October 26, 2026. The RFI sets out a timetable: groundbreaking on a permanent campus no later than 2027, an inaugural class of about 300 students starting instruction in 2028, and a permanent campus ready for 1,200 undergraduates by the fall 2031 term.

For background on the August 28 order and the commission, see our U.S. Space Academy guide.

The first commission meeting

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman chaired the meeting at NASA Headquarters on September 9, hosting it with Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson. NASA's release lists Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink and U.S. Chief Technology Officer Ethan Klein (representing science adviser Michael Kratsios) among the participants, with representatives of the Office of Management and Budget, the National Security Council and the White House.

"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," Isaacman said in the release. Hegseth, according to the Pentagon's news service, said dominance in space is "not just what we do at the War Department" but "what we do across government, at NASA, in private industry." Meink said having an academy to train "the next generation of space professionals," "whether it be civilian or military," is "just critically important."

What NASA is asking states for

The 15-page RFI (notice NASA-USSA-RFI on SAM.gov, from NASA's Office of Strategic Infrastructure) is the most concrete description of the academy yet:

• What it is. The RFI describes the academy as "a NASA-led, civilian Federal academic institution." So NASA is describing a civilian academy, not a military service academy.
• One bid per state. NASA will accept one response per state, prepared by a "Responding Entity" and formally endorsed by a "State Selecting Official," both designated in writing by the governor. A response may include several parcels, interim facilities or consortium locations, but it must be the state's single, integrated approach.
• The 2028 start. An inaugural class of about 300 students is expected to begin instruction in 2028. The RFI says the academy may not yet be accredited and its permanent campus may not yet be operational by then. NASA expects the interim model may rely on one or more partner institutions for classrooms, labs, housing and student services, "while maintaining a distinct USSA identity and governance."
• The permanent campus. A footprint of no less than 300 acres, ready for 1,200 undergraduates by the fall 2031 academic term, with room to grow to about 4,000 students. It is expected to include academic and research buildings, residences, "major sporting venues," ceremonial and formation spaces, and controlled-access or secure technical facilities.
• Money. States should give a rough-order-of-magnitude cost estimate and list land, facilities, infrastructure or other resources that state, local and partner organizations could provide, in descending order of anticipated value or importance.
• Format. Responses are limited to 47 pages, in 12-point Times New Roman.
• How it is judged. NASA will consider "how likely a response is to enable the effective and efficient creation of the USSA," rank eligible responses and give the rankings to the commission. The commission "is not bound by NASA's findings or recommendations." The RFI "is not a procurement solicitation," creates no obligation, and NASA says "a separate announcement for formal proposals may be issued at a later date." As of September 23 the SAM.gov notice had not been amended since it was posted.

Who is bidding

As of September 23, public bids or formal letters have emerged from five states, plus a private proposal in Nevada. None has publicly announced filing its official RFI response.

• Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott named a leadership team on September 15, led by state Rep. Greg Bonnen, to work with the Texas Space Commission. Members include Nancy Currie-Gregg, director of the Texas A&M Space Institute and a former NASA astronaut; Heather Wilson, president of the University of Texas at El Paso and a former Secretary of the Air Force; and Jack Fischer, a senior vice president at Intuitive Machines and a former NASA astronaut. "Texas is the home of America's human spaceflight program. No state can match what Texas brings to this mission," Abbott said. Payload reported that Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is also lobbying for the academy.
• Florida. Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) introduced S. 5398, the "Securing The Advancement of Rising Spacefarers Act of 2026" (STARS Act), on September 15. It would establish the academy "within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration" and require that its permanent campus "be located within the State of Florida," with priority for sites near Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and for partnership with Space Launch Delta 45 and Patrick Space Force Base. Two differences from the RFI: the bill's long title calls the academy "a service academy of the United States," and it says no commission recommendation may supersede its Florida site requirement. The bill was referred to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, which Cruz chairs. Payload reported that Moody is working with Space Florida, the state's aerospace authority, on the RFI response.
• Alabama. Rep. Dale Strong led a letter from the state's congressional delegation to the commission backing North Alabama, citing Marshall Space Flight Center, Redstone Arsenal, the Missile Defense Agency, U.S. Space Command and the Army Space and Missile Defense Command. Sen. Katie Britt said she was proud to join "the entire Alabama delegation." "There is no better place for President Trump's U.S. Space Academy than the great state of Alabama," Sen. Tommy Tuberville said, according to Alabama Reporter.
• Louisiana. The state's congressional delegation, led by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, sent a letter backing Louisiana, pointing to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and SpaceX's planned spaceport in Vermilion Parish, according to WVLA. Gov. Jeff Landry backed the push: "A Space Academy in New Orleans will prepare our students to be part of that future," he said, according to WVLA. "If we're going to have the West Point for space, we're going to want to have classrooms. We can provide them in Louisiana," Michael Hecht, president and CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc., told Fox 8.
• Ohio. On September 21, Sens. Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted, Rep. Mike Turner and state legislative leaders launched a bid for a campus at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, with Wright State University backing the effort. "The Space Academy's natural home is in Ohio, the birthplace of aviation and the epicenter of America's space exploration," Moreno said. WYSO reported, in a story published by WOSU, that according to Moreno, Ohio would need to contribute $300 million toward construction if selected, and that Gov. Mike DeWine has formed a steering committee to coordinate Ohio's application.
• Nevada. Payload reported that spaceport developer Rob Lauer wants 500 acres of desert west of Las Vegas and is not waiting on the governor. His own parcel is 240 acres, short of NASA's 300-acre floor, though it borders federal Bureau of Land Management land, Payload reported. Under the RFI, only a governor-designated response counts as Nevada's official bid.

Not bidding, so far: Colorado. We found no announced Colorado bid. Sen. John Hickenlooper called the plan "duplicative, costly, and unserious" on August 28, the day the order was signed, arguing that the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs already trains the Space Force's future leaders.

What it means

This section is SpaceNexus analysis.

• States are being asked to pay. The RFI's request for land, facilities and infrastructure from non-federal partners turns this into an economic-development competition much like a corporate headquarters search. Moreno's $300 million figure is the first state contribution we have seen put on the record; expect others before October 26.
• One bid per state forces local deals. ClearanceJobs reported that Florida has two competing local pitches, from Orange County (Orlando and the University of Central Florida) and Brevard County (the Space Coast). Under the RFI they must fold into a single governor-endorsed response. Watch which institutions each state names as its 2028 interim partners, because they would host the first class.
• The civilian framing matters for the workforce. The RFI describes an academy that prepares scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, civil servants and warfighters with "a lasting commitment to public service." For companies it is a long-dated talent pipeline: on a four-year program, a 2028 first class would graduate around 2032.
• Nothing is funded. The RFI says it creates no binding commitment and that NASA is not accepting a gift through it. Congress has not authorized or funded the academy, and for fiscal 2027, which starts October 1, it has so far passed only a stopgap funding law that lasts through December 11. A 2027 groundbreaking needs both.

What to watch

• October 26, 5 p.m. CT: RFI responses due. NASA has reserved the right to hold a State Information Session, which would be added to the RFI by amendment.
• NASA's ranking of responses and any site visits, then the commission's report, due about December 26 (120 days after August 28).
• S. 5398 (STARS Act) in the Senate Commerce Committee, and any rival bills naming other states.
• Appropriations: whether any fiscal 2027 bill carries academy money, and what replaces the stopgap that expires December 11. Our report on the Space Force's growth plan covers how the same stopgap affects the service.

Sources

• NASA: "NASA Answers President's Call to Establish United States Space Academy" (RELEASE 26-075, September 10, 2026)
• NASA Office of Strategic Infrastructure: "Request for Information: Creation of the United States Space Academy" (NASA-USSA-RFI, SAM.gov, posted September 10, 2026)
• U.S. Department of War (Pentagon News): "Hegseth Attends First Space Academy Commission Meeting" (Matthew Olay, September 9, 2026, via GlobalSecurity.org)
• Office of the Texas Governor: "Governor Abbott Creates Leadership Team To Bring United States Space Academy To Texas" (September 15, 2026)
• S. 5398, STARS Act of 2026 (introduced September 15, 2026, GovInfo)
• U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (chairman)
• Alabama Reporter: "Alabama delegation backs North Alabama for US Space Academy" (Mary Claire Wooten, September 15, 2026)
• WVLA (via Yahoo News): "Could Louisiana become home to a US Space Academy? Leaders say there's 'no better place'" (Allison Bruhl, September 18, 2026)
• Fox 8 New Orleans: "GNO Inc. leader in D.C. as Louisiana seeks U.S. Space Academy" (Sabrina Wilson, September 23, 2026)
• Office of Sen. Bernie Moreno: "Moreno Leads Ohio's Push to Bring Space Force Academy to Ohio" (September 21, 2026)
• WYSO (published by WOSU): "Ohio leaders push for Space Academy to come to Wright-Patt" (Kathryn Mobley, September 21, 2026)
• Payload: "States Campaign to Host the US Space Academy" (Victoria Woodburn, September 18, 2026)
• ClearanceJobs: "Texas, Florida, and Alabama Want the New U.S. Space Academy, But One State Has Two Bids" (Peter Suciu, September 9, 2026)
• Office of Sen. John Hickenlooper: "Hickenlooper Questions Trump's Space Academy Announcement" (August 28, 2026)
• Tech Times: "Space Academy Site Competition Opens as Congress, Not the Commission, Controls Its Future" (Daniel Butler, September 11, 2026)
• The White House: "Congressional Bill H.R. 6500 Signed into Law" (September 2, 2026)
• Executive Order 14423, "Establishing the United States Space Academy" (Federal Register, 91 FR 56737, September 3, 2026)
• Congressional Research Service, IN12739: "U.S. Space Academy Proposal: Considerations for Congress" (September 21, 2026)