Texas is lining up bids for two new federal projects at once: a NASA-led service academy for space and a sprawling military installation the Pentagon has dubbed the "Next Great American Base."
Neither competition has published its full requirements, but the state's pitch for the U.S. Space Academy is already being assembled. Gov. Greg Abbott named state Rep. Greg Bonnen of Friendswood, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, to lead a proposal team in mid-September, working alongside the Texas Space Commission.
The San Antonio Express-News reported Monday that the commission has discussed putting $100 million toward the effort.
The Space Academy
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 28 at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston creating a presidential commission on the academy.
According to the Express-News, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman leads the panel, which is due to report to the president by the end of December with recommendations on governance, curriculum, service obligations for graduates, admission requirements and how a site will be chosen. It would be the country's sixth federal service academy.
Abbott wants the school near Johnson Space Center, according to a joint statement from U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and U.S. Rep. Brian Babin, both Texas Republicans who chair the congressional committees over commerce and science. "No state can match what Texas brings to this mission," Abbott said when he formed the team, pointing to the space center, universities, the commercial space industry and military installations.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Texas Space Commission Chair Gwen Griffin all endorsed the bid in the governor's announcement.
