NASA has published the first concrete details of the proposed United States Space Academy, and it is asking states to compete for it. The 14-page document, a Request for Information, sketches a fast timeline: groundbreaking for a permanent campus no later than next year, a first class enrolled in temporary facilities in 2028, and a move to the permanent site in 2031.
The academy would sit on at least 300 acres, ideally close to NASA facilities or university campuses, and would initially support 1,200 undergraduates, with room to grow to as many as 4,000. All 50 states are invited to submit a single response describing what they would contribute — land, infrastructure, funding — along with a rough-order-of-magnitude estimate of the cost to build and run the school in their state. Submissions are due to NASA by October 26.
The document describes an institution meant to 'prepare a new generation of leaders to explore, build, operate, secure, and defend the space domain,' producing 'future scientists, engineers, astronauts, pilots, operators, entrepreneurs, civil servants, warfighters, and other leaders.' That last category has raised questions about the academy's character. The document is silent on tuition, but Ars Technica, citing a source familiar with the commission's thinking, reports that students would be expected to spend several years in government service in exchange for a free education, with most graduates heading to NASA and some potentially to the Space Force.
Politically, the process is unusual. NASA will review and rate the proposals, but the decision rests with a presidential commission appointed by Donald Trump and chaired by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, whose members include chief of staff Susie Wiles, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Trump makes the final call. The aggressive timeline — classes starting in 2028, before the end of the current presidential term — reflects the fact that Republicans currently control the White House and both chambers of Congress, a situation that could change after November's midterms.
Reaction has split along familiar lines. Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) called the plan 'duplicative, costly, and unserious,' noting that it could compete with the US Air Force Academy in his state. Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) said the absence of congressional participation on the commission 'is going to have to change.' Representative George Whitesides (D-Calif.), a former NASA chief of staff, called the idea intriguing but questioned where the money would come from and wanted Congress more involved.
The competition may look less like a traditional procurement and more like a corporate relocation, with states pitching free land and university partnerships. The deadline for those pitches is October 26.
