Review - HR 10430 Introduced – STARS Act

Earlier this month, Rep Donalds (R,FL) introduced HR 10430, the Securing the Advancement of Rising Spacefarers (STARS) Act of 2026. The bill would support EO 14423, Establishing the United States Space Academy. It would establish the US Space Academy within NASA and would require its permanent location to be in Florida. The bill would authorize such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act. 

According to a press release from Donalds’ office:  

“"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.” 

Moving Forward  

While Donalds is not a member of the House, Science, Space, and Technology Committee to which the bill was assigned for consideration, both of his cosponsors {Rep Haridopolos (R,FL) and Rep Webster (R,FL)} are members. This means that there may be sufficient influence to see the bill considered in that Committee. Unfortunately, State politics can be expected to rear its ugly head here; the Committee Chair is from Texas, as are three other Representatives. At least three other States (Alabama, Colorado, and California) would also be expected to be considered for the location of the Space Academy.  

I do not expect any movement on this (or similar legislation) at least until the Commission’s report to the President is forwarded to the Congress with their recommendations for the site selection. 

For more details about the provisions of this bill and EO 14423, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-10430-introduced-stars-act - subscription required.