AUSTIN, TX — Gov. Greg Abbott announced the creation of a leadership team Tuesday tasked with working to secure Texas as the permanent home of the United States Space Academy.
State Rep. Greg Bonnen, M.D., of Friendswood, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, will lead the team.
“Texas is the home of America’s human spaceflight program,” Abbott said. “No state can match what Texas brings to this mission. NASA’s Johnson Space Center, world-class universities, a premier commercial space industry, major military installations, and an unmatched aerospace workforce give Texas every asset the United States Space Academy requires.”
President Donald Trump signed an executive order at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston last month establishing a Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy. The commission will recommend a permanent location for the academy.
The Texas leadership team will work with the Texas Space Commission to prepare a statewide proposal and present it to the federal government.
“Texas is the perfect home for the United States Space Academy,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said. “Texas is the driving force behind space innovation and exploration. Our rapidly growing private-sector space industry and world-class research institutions will provide cadets and faculty with the perfect platform to launch America’s new space academy.”
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows also pointed to the state's military installations, research universities and aerospace workforce as reasons for locating the academy in Texas.
“Texas is a global leader in space exploration and aerospace technology, making our state a natural fit for the new United States Space Academy,” Burrows said. “Home to 15 military installations and top research universities, Texas is equipped with the experts and workforce needed to launch this Academy. With the hard work of this leadership team, I have faith that we will soon welcome the Academy to the Lone Star State.”
Gwen Griffin, chair of the Texas Space Commission, said the commission will support the state's effort.
“Texas has the talent, assets, and infrastructure necessary to be the home of the United States Space Academy,” Griffin said. “The Texas Space Commission is honored to support Governor Abbott’s initiative and looks forward to working with Chairman Bonnen and the leadership team, to demonstrate why Texas is the right place to train the next generation of American space leaders.”
NASA's Johnson Space Center is designated as the agency's Human Spaceflight Center of Excellence and is home to the astronaut corps. Texas also has universities that train engineers, scientists, and operators for civil, commercial, and military space programs, along with military installations and a commercial space industry.
In addition to Bonnen, the proposal leadership team includes:
- Dr. Nancy Currie-Gregg, director of the Texas A&M Space Institute, retired Army colonel and former NASA astronaut;
- Dr. Heather Wilson, president of the University of Texas at El Paso and former secretary of the United States Air Force;
- Evan Loomis, member of the Texas Space Commission Board of Directors;
- Dr. Robert Ambrose, associate director of the Texas A&M Space Institute;
- Jack Fischer, senior vice president at Intuitive Machines, retired Air Force colonel and former NASA astronaut; and
- Dr. Lori A. Magruder, director of the University of Texas at Austin Center for Space Research.
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