WASHINGTON – Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) is leading the effort in the House to secure Florida as the permanent home for the newly established United States Space Academy through the introduction of the "Securing the Advancement of Rising Spacefarers (STARS) Act".
The "STARS Act" is the 28th piece of legislation introduced by Congressman Donalds in the 119th Congress and is co-led by Senator Ashley Moody (R-FL) in the Senate. Congressman Mike Haridopolos (R-FL) is an original co-sponsor in the House.
This piece of legislation directly answers President Trump's August 28 Executive Order, establishing a federal commission tasked with planning a dedicated, NASA-led academy to train the nation's military, civilian, and commercial space workforce.
"Florida is the birthplace of American space exploration and has led the world in spaceflight for decades. The Sunshine State has built an unmatched, fully integrated space ecosystem that bridges operational launch infrastructure, military space command assets, and tier-one research universities. Establishing the Space Academy on Florida's Space Coast forges an immediate talent pipeline and creates an unmatched competitive advantage, offering cadets daily exposure to NASA personnel, Space Force leaders, and private industry innovators," said Congressman Byron Donalds. "To ensure American space superiority in an increasingly competitive domain, our future leaders must be educated at the very nexus of global space operations. I am proud to stand alongside Senator Moody in this effort to further strengthen and elevate Florida’s ever-emerging space landscape and solidify our nation’s strength and security beyond Earth’s orbit for generations to come."
BACKGROUND:
On August 28, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order establishing the Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy.
As part of its mandate, this commission has been tasked with navigating and deciding the site selection, curriculum, and governance framework for a service academy dedicated to space.
WHAT THIS BILL DOES:
This bill recommends the Space Commission to locate the Space Academy in Florida. Specifically, it suggests that the location be within reasonable distance to the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral.
Additionally, this bill outlines that the selection and implementation of the Space Academy be done in coordination with the Governor of Florida and include academic and operational partnerships with Space Launch Delta 45 and Patrick Space Force Base.
