Colorado bids to host US Space Academy

Colorado has announced a bid to locate the proposed, NASA-led U.S. Space Academy in Colorado Springs, with the Colorado Space Coalition coordinating the state’s response to NASA’s request for information, due Nov. 16. Gov. Jared Polis is touting the region’s aerospace workforce, companies, universities, and military presence, while the academy’s funding, programs, and site remain undecided. The proposed school would prepare students for careers across the Space Force, NASA, and the civilian space sector; current plans envision temporary facilities in 2028 and a permanent campus by 2031. Colorado faces competition from Huntsville, Alabama—a city selected to receive U.S. Space Command—and the proposal has drawn criticism from Sen. John Hickenlooper, who argues it could duplicate existing training and be costly.