Moody files bill to place U.S. Space Academy in Florida

What the bill would do

U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., filed legislation Tuesday seeking to locate the new U.S. Space Academy in Florida. The STARS Act follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in late August establishing the academy and directing federal officials to develop recommendations about its location and organization.

The planned academy would educate and train students interested in serving in the U.S. Space Force. It also would help develop workers for NASA and the commercial space industry.

Moody said Florida should host the institution because of its role in the nation’s space program. She had announced earlier in the month that she planned to file the legislation when the Senate returned to Washington.

Florida’s effort to secure the academy

Moody has joined other members of Florida’s congressional delegation in urging the Trump administration and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman to choose Florida. State officials are also responding to a federal request for information about establishing the academy.

Florida’s case centers on Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, commercial launch companies and universities engaged in aerospace research. Moody appeared with Space Florida CEO Rob Long and aerospace industry representatives on the Space Coast on Sept. 8 to promote the state’s proposal.

The STARS Act is one of several space-related measures Moody has introduced. Her other proposals would permit tax-exempt bonds for spaceport facilities, allow NASA to accept voluntary private contributions for certain infrastructure projects and move NASA headquarters to Florida’s Space Coast.

Federal officials have not finalized the academy’s location. The executive order leaves that decision to the administration’s continuing planning process.