Ratification of Letter of Support for the United States Space Academy Site Selection 
 

The Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy (USSA) is selecting a location for a new federal academy, with Arizona submissions routed through the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA). The City of Flagstaff, in partnership with Northern Arizona University (NAU), is part of Arizona's proposal to locate the academy in Flagstaff. The academy would launch on an interim basis in 2028 with approximately 300 students and grow to a permanent campus by 2031, with groundbreaking targeted for 2027.

Because the submission deadline of 11/4/2026 fell before the next available Council meeting, the Mayor signed a letter of support on behalf of the Council on November 4, 2026. Ratification formally confirms Council's support for that letter. In the letter, the Council shares Flagstaff's role in space exploration and how a USSA campus aligns with our Economic Development Strategic Plan.

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1. Ratify the letter of support.
2. Ratify the letter and direct staff to prepare a supplemental letter clarifying or amending specific commitments.

This project aligns with attracting High Wage, Low Impact jobs, aligns with our target sector of "Astronomy" and builds on programmatic success from NAU's Planetary Sciences. 

Policy HE.3: Promote employment pathways, skills training, and job creation in targeted sectors and needed industries such as construction, forestry, advanced manufacturing, health care, astronomy, and bioscience.

Economic Prosperity: Flagstaff will cultivate a prosperous and stable economy with abundant and equitable access to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. 

The USSA campus will bring high paying jobs to the area which aids in housing affordability. 

Astronomy is one of our targeted sectors for Business Attraction.