NASA Answers President’s Call to Establish United States Space Academy
NASA is moving quickly to establish the first United States Space Academy, less than two weeks after an Executive Order was signed to create it. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman chaired the first meeting of the Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy on Sept. 9, and NASA subsequently published a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input from governors or their designees interested in hosting and sponsoring the academy in their state.
Isaacman and Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson welcomed key commission members from multiple agencies and organizations to NASA Headquarters in Washington. Participants included U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, and U.S. Chief Technology Officer Ethan Klein, representing Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios, along with representatives from the Office of Management and Budget, the National Security Council, and the White House. The commission began working through the academy's structure and priorities, including governance, curriculum, service commitments, partnerships, and implementation.
Isaacman said the first meeting made clear how much talent and commitment stands behind President Trump's vision for the U.S. Space Academy, and that the RFI gives states a chance to help shape a legacy institution built for America's future in space. Anderson said the academy's location is foundational to its success, asking states to bring their strongest vision — infrastructure, partnerships, and community — to compete with the elite options this caliber of student will have and match the ambition of future space leaders.
The commission has a 120-day mandate, begun when the Executive Order was signed on Aug. 28, to develop recommendations for President Trump on how to establish the academy and build the technical talent and leadership pipeline needed for America's long-term goals in space. RFI responses, due by 6 p.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 26, will inform the commission's path forward to selecting a location. The request outlines an ambitious timeline: groundbreaking no later than 2027, temporarily hosting the first 300 students in 2028, and a permanent location in operation by 2031. Each state is allowed one submission through its governor's designee, and input is sought on resources available to support the academy plus potential campus details, including location information.