Alabama submits bid to build Space Academy in Huntsville
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With U.S. Space Command's relocation in full swing, Alabama and Huntsville are setting their sights on the next big get: U.S. Space Academy.
Why it matters: Landing the academy would be another generational opportunity for the Rocket City, further cementing its status as an aerospace hub and one of the country's most important centers for space research and leadership.
Catch up quick: President Trump signed an order in late August creating a commission to establish the United States Space Academy, "a proposed NASA-led" academy to "develop a professional corps of civically grounded leaders prepared to advance American interests within the space domain."
- NASA then put out a call for potential sites, instruction and financial estimates, due Oct. 26.
- That request details a need for at least 300 acres to accommodate roughly 4,000 students, a plan to break ground no later than 2027, and proximity to NASA/federal facilities, an international airport, universities, health care and the aerospace industry.
The latest: Gov. Kay Ivey submitted Alabama's initial response on Thursday, putting Huntsville forward as the ideal site.
- "With Space Command Headquarters soon coming to Huntsville, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Space Camp and generations of aerospace expertise, Alabama brings an exceptional foundation to this competition," she said in an announcement.
What they're saying: Mayor Tommy Battle noted the city's "world-class STEM education pipelines, a highly-skilled workforce and unmatched collaboration among our partners on Redstone Arsenal."
- "The U.S. Space Academy belongs in a place where innovation is in our DNA, and that place is Huntsville," he said in the announcement.
Yes, but: The competition will be fierce, with at least Texas, Ohio, Florida and Louisiana all poised to make competing bids.
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott created a leadership team to handle its bid, and Florida's economic development leaders are pushing the Space Coast as an ideal location.
- In Ohio, state leaders are pushing Dayton, where NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman says they have a "good shot."
- In Louisiana, leaders are leaning on the legacy of NASA's Michoud, where SpaceX is spending $100 billion on its Starbase.
What we're watching: NASA will have states' pitches in hand by the end of the month, which will be reviewed and ranked before the presidential commission makes its recommendation.
- That commission's report is due back to Trump by late December.