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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10430 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10430
To establish the United States Space Academy as a service academy of
the United States, to require that the Academy be located in the State
of Florida, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 16, 2026
Mr. Donalds introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the United States Space Academy as a service academy of
the United States, to require that the Academy be located in the State
of Florida, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Securing The Advancement of Rising
Spacefarers Act of 2026'' or the ``STARS Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Space is a vital domain for the national security,
economic competitiveness, and technological leadership of the
United States, and the Nation's continued dominance in space
depends on a pipeline of highly trained astronauts, engineers,
operators, and civil servants.
(2) On August 28, 2026, the President signed an Executive
order establishing the Presidential Commission on the United
States Space Academy, directing that Commission to recommend a
governance framework, curriculum, and site-selection process
for a proposed NASA-led Federal service academy dedicated to
space.
(3) Recent executive actions, including the establishment
of the Presidential Commission on the United States Space
Academy, reflect a renewed national commitment to expanding the
pipeline of American space talent and reasserting American
leadership in the space domain amid growing strategic
competition, including from the People's Republic of China.
(4) The State of Florida is home to the John F. Kennedy
Space Center, the single most active human spaceflight launch
complex in the world, and to Cape Canaveral Space Force
Station, from which the majority of the Nation's orbital
launches are conducted.
(5) Florida hosts Patrick Space Force Base and Space Launch
Delta 45, giving the State an unmatched concentration of
active-duty Space Force personnel, launch range safety
infrastructure, and operational expertise directly relevant to
the mission of the Space Academy.
(6) Florida's ``Space Coast'' region supports one of the
largest concentrations of commercial space companies in the
United States, including national security launch providers,
satellite manufacturers, and in-space logistics firms, creating
an unparalleled ecosystem of industry partners, internship
opportunities, and post-graduate employment pathways for
Academy cadets.
(7) Florida's institutions of higher education, including
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the University of Central
Florida, and the Florida Institute of Technology, already offer
nationally recognized aerospace engineering and space
operations programs, and are positioned to support and
complement the academic mission of the Academy.
(8) Space Florida, the State's spaceport authority and
aerospace economic development agency, has decades of
experience coordinating range operations, workforce
development, and infrastructure investment in direct support of
NASA, the Space Force, and the commercial launch industry.
(9) Florida's climate permits a high annual number of
flyable launch days, and the State's coastal geography provides
safe overwater trajectories for launch and reentry operations,
both of which are operationally significant for a service
academy whose cadets will train alongside active launch
operations.
(10) Locating the Space Academy in Florida would allow
cadets to train in direct proximity to operational launch,
range, and Space Force facilities, providing a level of real-
world immersion unavailable at any other location in the United
States.
(11) It is in the national interest to establish the Space
Academy without delay and to resolve the question of its
permanent location in a manner that maximizes its operational
integration with existing space launch, range, and military
infrastructure.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Academy.--The term ``Academy'' means the United States
Space Academy established under section 4.
(2) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration.
(3) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the
Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy
established by Executive Order of August 28, 2026.
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE UNITED STATES SPACE ACADEMY.
(a) In General.--There is established, as an academy of the United
States within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the
United States Space Academy, which shall provide undergraduate
technical education, leadership development, and commissioning or
civil-service preparation pathways for future leaders of the space
domain.
(b) Relationship to Commission.--The Administrator shall, in
developing the governance, curriculum, and implementation plan for the
Academy, consider the recommendations of the Commission, except that no
recommendation of the Commission may supersede the site-selection
requirement of section 5.
SEC. 5. LOCATION OF THE ACADEMY.
(a) In General.--The permanent campus of the Academy shall be
located within the State of Florida.
(b) Site Selection Criteria.--In selecting the specific site within
the State of Florida, the Administrator shall give priority to sites
that--
(1) are in reasonable proximity to, or have or plan to have
reasonable access to, the Kennedy Space Center and Cape
Canaveral Space Force Station;
(2) currently allow for, or plan for, direct academic and
operational partnership with Space Launch Delta 45 and Patrick
Space Force Base;
(3) can accommodate the future growth of the Academy's
cadet corps, faculty, and supporting infrastructure; and
(4) leverage existing Federal, State, or university-owned
land to minimize acquisition costs within the State of Florida.
(c) Coordination With State of Florida.--The Administrator shall
consult with the Governor of Florida in carrying out this section.
SEC. 6. IMPLEMENTATION AND REPORT.
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space,
and Technology of the House of Representatives a report that includes--
(1) a proposed final site for the Academy within the State
of Florida;
(2) a proposed academic and leadership curriculum;
(3) proposed service obligations for graduates;
(4) an estimated construction and operational budget; and
(5) an implementation timeline.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator such
sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act, including for site
acquisition, design, and construction of the Academy's permanent
campus.
SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act.
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