LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Nevada Lt. Governor Stavros Anthony says he would like to see the Silver State consider a bid to NASA to build the space agency’s Space Academy. This, as leaders in other states have set the wheels in motion to land the facility, planned to begin hosting cadets in temporary quarters by 2028.

“I think Nevada is absolutely set up for space exploration, whether it’s through the government and the Space Academy and Space Force, or whether it’s through the private sector,” Anthony said. “I would like to see Nevada set up as a place where we can have this new space academy to support the president’s space force initiative.”

Each state will be allowed to submit one request for information, or R.F.I., to let NASA know a proposed location, site readiness, and other environmental and regulatory considerations. “We need to take a look at the application to find out what exactly the details are. And once we take a look at that, then we can absolutely look at moving forward.”

During a recent news conference, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman explained the Space Academy’s vision. “This will be a new national academy,” he said. “I think most people probably tend to think about, you know, West Point or Annapolis as a D.O.W. academy. But you have, I would think of the Space Academy to be much more akin to like the Merchant Marine Academy, which is under the Department of Transportation.”

Isaacman added, “This will be where potentially you know, where hundreds of new NASA civil servants come in to join the space agency every year, and they would also have the option to perhaps go into the Space Force or elsewhere.”

While Nevada might not have an ocean, like Florida, Texas or California, which have numerous NASA facilities, Nevada does have an abundance of Federal land and infrastructure like the Nevada National Security Site, and more.

“Just like we were the testing ground for nuclear, just like we’re one of the premier Air Force and Navy locations – I mean, we have Top Gun here in Nevada, up in northern Nevada, outside of Fallon,” said Anthony, “those are the kind of things that we do here in Nevada.” And, he believes the Space Academy would help diversify our economy by advancing space exploration, and someday even space tourism.

NASA wants to have a temporary facility ready by 2028 to begin admitting cadets, and a permanent location online by 2031.