Ohio launches bid to land America’s proposed Space Academy

Ohio has launched a formal effort to host the proposed United States Space Academy, with Gov. Mike DeWine forming a state steering group and a coalition of federal, state, and regional officials promoting Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Wright State University as the preferred location.

NASA is seeking one response from each interested state, submitted by a governor or the governor’s designee, as the agency and a presidential commission develop plans for the academy. Ohio’s submission is due by 6 p.m. on Oct. 26.

Ohio's bid takes shape

U.S. Sens. Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted, U.S. Rep. Mike Turner and Ohio statewide leaders announced a joint push Sept. 21 to bring the proposed academy to Wright-Patterson and Wright State.

Moreno said Ohio’s combination of aviation history, aerospace assets and workforce talent makes it a strong candidate.

“The Space Academy’s natural home is in Ohio, the birthplace of aviation and the epicenter of America’s space exploration,” Moreno said in a statement. “President Trump knows that Ohio has the resources, the history, and the talent to get this done.”

Turner commented Wright-Patterson’s research, intelligence and innovation role makes it a compelling potential home for the school.

“The United States Space Academy is a great opportunity for our community,” Turner said in the release. “Our region has the expertise, infrastructure, and workforce to win this historic investment, and build the next generation of American space leadership right here in Ohio.”

State organizes its bid

DeWine announced an 11-member steering group Sept. 21 to coordinate Ohio’s application. Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik will chair the group, while Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Mike Duffey will serve as vice chair.

The group includes JobsOhio CEO J.P. Nauseef, Team NEO CEO Matt Dolan, Dayton Development Coalition President and CEO Jeff Hoagland, retired Air Force Gen. Lester Lyles, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. J.T. Thompson, former NASA senior civilian Jim Free, retired Air Force Col. Joe Zeis, the governor’s assistant policy director Meghan Wadsworth, and Ohio State University Vice President for Research John Horack.

DeWine’s announcement pointed to Wright-Patterson and NASA Glenn Research Center as key parts of Ohio’s pitch, along with the state’s education and workforce assets.

“A Space Academy is essential to our Nation’s preeminence in air and space,” DeWine said. “Ohio is not only the birthplace of aviation – we continue to be on the leading edge of aerospace and defense.”

Aerospace and education assets

Wright State University President Sue Edwards said the university will use partnerships with Wright-Patterson, the Space Force, NASA, and the Air Force Institute of Technology to support Ohio’s bid.

“As a member of the U.S. Space Command Academic Engagement Enterprise we are already focused on producing high quality graduates who are ready to step into a variety of military and civilian work roles within the Space Force,” Edwards explained.

Wright State announced in February that it had joined U.S. Space Command’s Academic Engagement Enterprise. The university said membership creates opportunities for space-related research, professional development, internships, exercises, and workforce pathways.

Wright-Patterson is home to the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), which describes itself as the Department of the Air Force’s primary scientific research and development center. The base’s 711th Human Performance Wing operates the Department of Defense’s only human-rated centrifuge, according to AFRL.

Ohio’s broader case includes NASA Glenn Research Center and the Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky. NASA says the Armstrong facility’s Space Environments Complex houses the world’s largest and most powerful space-environment simulation facilities, including the world’s largest space-simulation vacuum chamber. NASA also describes its In-Space Propulsion Facility there as the only facility able to test full-scale upper-stage launch vehicles and rocket engines under simulated high-altitude conditions.

NASA Glenn manages the Fission Surface Power project and is the agency’s lead center for electric-propulsion work.

What NASA is seeking

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Aug. 28 creating the Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy. Chaired by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, the commission is charged with developing recommendations on the academy’s governance, curriculum, service commitments, partnerships, legislative strategy, and implementation.

The White House has described the proposed academy as a NASA-led federal institution that would combine technical education, leadership development, discipline, and public-service preparation. Its graduates would be prepared for careers spanning military, civil, and broader space-enterprise roles.

NASA issued its request for information (RFI) after the commission’s first meeting Sept. 9. The agency is asking states to address potential locations, site readiness, environmental and regulatory considerations, proximity to supporting ecosystems, and the resources available to support an academy.

Fast federal schedule

NASA’s preliminary timeline calls for:

• Oct. 26, 2026: State responses due by 6 p.m. EDT
• No later than 2027: Target for groundbreaking
• 2028: Temporary facilities host the first 300 students
• 2031: Permanent academy location begins operations

Those milestones represent the federal planning schedule and are subject to the commission’s recommendations, presidential approval, and any necessary legislative action.

What's next

Ohio has assembled a statewide steering group and a political coalition advocating for Wright-Patterson and Wright State as the academy’s home. The next step is more concrete: submitting a detailed state response that demonstrates a viable site, institutional partnerships, and the capacity to support NASA’s accelerated timetable.