Commission launched to plan a NASA-led U.S. Space Academy

What’s happening

• A Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy has been established to produce recommendations for creating a NASA-led federal Space Academy.
• The commission must deliver a report to the President within 120 days.

Who leads and who’s on it

• Chair: Administrator of NASA. Vice Chairs: Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy. The Deputy Administrator of NASA is Executive Director.
• The commission also includes several senior officials (the text names the Secretary of War, the Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, the OMB Director, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the Secretary of the Air Force) and may invite other federal employees.

What the report must cover

• Governance options and whether to place the Academy within NASA, including authorities and accreditations.
• Academic and leadership curriculum, degree programs, and experiential training recommendations.
• Graduate service obligations, including possible Armed Forces or civilian Federal service and conditions for those obligations.
• Applicant prerequisites (citizenship, security clearances, government or military status).
• Process for choosing a permanent physical location.
• Administrative steps that can be taken under existing law (pilot programs, partnerships).
• Legislative actions needed and coordination with existing federal education programs.
• An implementation strategy with timelines and sequencing.

Other key points

• The Chair may form agency working groups and consult outside experts; working-group recommendations must be reviewed by the commission.
• Implementation requires presidential approval and, if needed, legislation; actions must follow applicable law and available appropriations.
• The order preserves existing agency authorities and OMB functions and says it does not create enforceable legal rights.
• The cost to publish the order will be borne by NASA.