A US Space Force flag flies over Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in February 2021. President Donald Trump has proposed the creation of an independent service academy for the Space Force, and a number of states have expressed interest in hosting it. (Shutterstock/Ajax9)

Where Will the US Space Academy Go? Eight States Are Competing for It—So Far

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In addition to the eight US states competing for NASA’s contract, a ninth has expressed interest, five others are possible contenders, and officials from one state have criticized the project.

If the United States wants to lead the space race, some say, it needs a space academy like other nations have. And as the US is competing with other nations in the new space race, at least eight of its states are competing to host the new space academy.

“We will be establishing a brand new US National Space Academy. Every other state wants it. So many states want it,” President Donald Trump said during a recent rally in Ohio, promising that Ohio would be considered. 

Matt Anderson, deputy administrator of NASA and executive director of the new Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy, said during the commission’s first meeting that the location of the academy “is foundational to its success.”

“We’re asking states to bring their strongest vision—the infrastructure, the partnerships, and the community that can compete with the elite options this caliber of student will have and match the boundless ambition of our future space leaders,” Anderson said.

States that want to host the US Space Academy must respond to NASA’s Request for Information by October 26.

Why Trump Wants a US Space Academy

“A ​nation cannot be first on Earth if we’re going to be second in space,” Trump said during an event at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on August 28. During his remarks, Trump announced the creation of the new space academy and honored the members of the Artemis II mission.

On the same day, Trump signed an executive order calling for the creation of a United States Space Academy to “educate and develop the next generation of leaders across the space domain.” The academy would serve more than the United States Space Force, the sixth and newest branch of the United States military, which was formally created in December 2019 during Trump’s first term; it would also serve as a pipeline for NASA, a civilian agency.

Along with the announcement of the academy, Trump established a commission to determine how best to make it a reality. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman is serving as chairman and NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson is serving as executive director.

The commission has been tasked with........

© The National Interest