Ohio Bids to Host U.S. Space Academy
NASA's federal Request for Information is a research-stage step; no site has been selected and the response deadline is Oct. 26.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Space
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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has formed a steering group to prepare the state's application to host the U.S. Space Academy, a proposed facility that NASA is seeking input on through a federal Request for Information. The effort is at the application-preparation stage; no academy site has been selected.
Why it matters
NASA's Request for Information asks governors or their designees how they would host the academy, with selection criteria covering infrastructure, partnerships, community support, and support for the academy's vision. Ohio's bid is positioned around its existing defense and aerospace assets, which is why the state is organizing quickly around the federal deadline.
The evidence here is an organizational step rather than a measured performance result: eleven named experts form a group to shape Ohio's federal application. The application is judged against NASA criteria covering infrastructure, partnerships, community support, and alignment with the academy's vision, but the source reports no quantified capacity figures for Ohio's facilities. What remains unknown is how Ohio's proposal will compare with other states' bids.
The players
Mike DeWine
Governor of Ohio, who formed the steering group to prepare the state's academy application.
NASA
The U.S. space agency, which issued the Request for Information on hosting the U.S. Space Academy and operates the Glenn Research Center in Ohio.
John Horack
Vice president for research at The Ohio State University and a member of the steering group, with a background in space research.
The details
NASA's Request for Information solicits input from governors or their designees about hosting the U.S. Space Academy, a training institution intended to build the nation's space workforce. Governor DeWine's steering group will assemble Ohio's response, and the state is leaning on two federal installations: Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which supports defense and aerospace research, and NASA Glenn Research Center, which works on propulsion and power systems for spaceflight. Ohio State University's John Horack, a vice president for research, sits on the group, linking the academic side of the bid to the federal facilities.
Timeline
Monday, Oct. 26, 6 p.m.: Deadline for responses to NASA's federal Request for Information.
The Tech Race
The academy bid is a state-by-state competition to host a federal space training institution, and Ohio is entering with the defense and research facilities it already has. Ohio's advantage, as its steering group frames it, rests on national security and astronautics capacity rather than a new site build-out.
For Ohio residents, the most direct effect would be a federal training institution located in the state if the bid succeeds, but no site or opening date has been announced. Until NASA selects a host, the steering group's application is the only concrete step, and no programs or enrollment are available.
The takeaway
Watch for NASA's selection of host states after the Oct. 26 response deadline, which will show whether Ohio's defense and Glenn-based assets outweigh competing bids. A selection announcement would be the next concrete signal of where the U.S. Space Academy lands.
What happens next
NASA's Request for Information response deadline is 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26, after which the agency will weigh state applications.
Further reading
For context on the federal push to build the space workforce, see more Space coverage on We are the Frontier.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Tribune.
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