Florida lawmakers pitch state as site for new U.S. Space Academy
A bipartisan group of Florida legislators asked President Trump and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman to locate the newly created U.S. Space Academy in Florida, highlighting the state’s extensive space infrastructure.
In late August, President Trump issued an executive order creating a U.S. Space Academy to educate future space professionals, with a presidential commission chaired by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman tasked to pick a site within 120 days. Florida’s bipartisan congressional delegation submitted a letter to Trump and Isaacman, asserting that the state’s weather, university research, NASA and Space Force presence, and booming commercial space sector provide a unique training environment.
The letter highlighted the Florida University Space Research Consortium, which unites major state universities, and cited nearby facilities such as Eglin and Tyndall Air Force Bases, Naval Air Station Cecil Field and Homestead Air Reserve Base. The appeal was signed by Senators Ashley Moody and Rick Scott, most of the state’s Republican representatives and several Democrats, while two Central Florida members did not sign. Local officials, including Brevard County Economic Development Council head Lynda Weatherman, also urged the academy to locate on the Space Coast.
Why it matters
The decision will shape where the nation trains its next generation of space professionals and could boost Florida’s aerospace economy.
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