STARS Act of 2026

This Act may be cited as the “Securing The Advancement of Rising Spacefarers Act of 2026” or the “STARS Act of 2026”.

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.

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.

(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.

(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.

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.

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.

This Act shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act.