Colorado is already home to the nation’s top aerospace companies. Now it wants to train the talent that will drive their next wave of innovation, imagination, and ingenuity by becoming the permanent home of the proposed United States Space Academy (USSA). Our own Colorado Space Coalition (CSC), part of the Metro Denver EDC, is bringing together the state, industry, educators and the community to launch that effort.
Governor Jared Polis joined aerospace, higher education, and business leaders in Colorado Springs to announce the state’s intent to pursue the Academy, with the bid now advancing for a site in Colorado Springs. The Polis-Primavera Administration designated the CSC as the Responding Entity to coordinate and prepare Colorado’s formal response to NASA’s Request for Information, the first step in making the case for Colorado as the Academy’s permanent home.
The opportunity stems from an August 2026 Executive Order directing federal efforts to establish the USSA, a proposed institution focused on preparing future leaders in space science, engineering, technology, and public service. NASA invited states to outline how they could support the Academy’s establishment as well as its interim and long-term operations.
Why It Matters
Being named Responding Entity reflects years of leadership and collaborative work by the CSC, which brings together aerospace companies, institutions of higher education, economic development organizations, and other partners to promote Colorado’s aerospace industry and strengthen the state’s position as a national leader in space innovation. The CSC worked alongside the Polis-Primavera Administration to evaluate qualified sites statewide before the announcement to move forward in Colorado Springs as the preferred site location.
A Statewide Coalition
The submission brings together partners with the expertise and infrastructure the Academy’s campus and curriculum will need, including the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, Colorado School of Mines, and the Colorado Community College System; the City of Colorado Springs, El Paso County, and the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC; and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE), and the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA), among others.
The four higher education systems will also launch an integrated educational partnership focused on human spaceflight, preparing students to explore, operate, and lead in space. Students will build a common foundation, then progress through connected pathways supported by partner faculty, specialized laboratories, and industry projects.
Colorado Springs has an unparalleled reputation as a national aerospace and defense hub through business recruitment, workforce development, and industry partnerships, including the Colorado Springs Chamber and EDC’s Aerospace & Defense Council. That regional work complements OEDIT’s statewide efforts to attract aerospace investment, support business growth, and strengthen Colorado’s workforce. Together, they build on the expertise, talent, and research capabilities that position Colorado to support the Academy’s mission.
What’s next
Colorado will submit its response to NASA by November 16, 2026, highlighting the aerospace ecosystem, workforce, research institutions, and partnerships that make the state the right home for the Academy. NASA plans to begin instruction for about 300 students in 2028 and open a permanent campus in 2031. We’ll keep you updated as the process moves forward.
Thank you for your continued investment in the work that makes moments like this possible.
