Sen. Banks Urges U.S. Space Academy Commission to Select Grissom

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) urged the Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy to select Grissom Air Reserve Base and the surrounding Grissom Aeroplex in Indiana as the home of the new U.S. Space Academy.

In a letter to Commission Chairman Jared Isaacman, Senator Banks highlighted Grissom's connection to Indiana native Lieutenant Colonel Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, one of America's original seven astronauts and the second American to fly in space. He also pointed to the site's capacity for classrooms, housing, and training infrastructure, as well as its 12,501-foot runway, one of the longest in the Midwest.

Read the full letter here or below:

Dear Chairman Isaacman and Members of the Commission:

I write to respectfully urge you and the commission to consider Grissom Air Reserve Base and the surrounding Grissom Aeroplex in Indiana as home of the U.S. Space Academy.

Named in honor of Indiana native Lieutenant Colonel Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, one of America's original seven astronauts and the second to fly in space, Grissom offers a fitting connection between America's earliest achievements in human spaceflight and the next generation of American space leaders. The installation and surrounding Aeroplex also offer substantial capacity for future classrooms, housing, and training infrastructure, along with access to a 12,501-foot runway, one of the longest in the Midwest.

Indiana also offers the academic and industrial ecosystem necessary to support the Academy's long-term mission. The state offers a low cost of living, leading STEM and research universities, and a growing aerospace, defense, and advanced-manufacturing workforce. Indiana companies already contribute directly to America's space missions, including 21 suppliers supporting NASA's Artemis program. Locating the Space Academy at Grissom would give cadets access to this broader network and create opportunities to connect classroom education with hands-on experience across the civil, commercial, and national security sectors.

Thank you for considering Grissom Air Reserve Base in Indiana as the headquarters for U.S.

Space Force. I look forward to working with the Commission to bring the Academy to Indiana.

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