Gov. Greg Abbott tapped Friendswood state representative Greg Bonnen to lead Texas's push for the proposed U.S. Space Academy.

Abbott announced Tuesday, Sept. 15, that Bonnen, who chairs the Texas House Appropriations Committee, will head a leadership team charged with making the case that Texas should permanently host the new federal institution. The team will work with the Texas Space Commission to submit a formal proposal to Washington.

The appointment puts a Clear Lake-area lawmaker at the center of a four-state competition. NASA's Johnson Space Center, the hub of the nation's human spaceflight program, sits just miles from Bonnen's district. Florida, Alabama and Colorado are also pursuing the academy.

"No state can match what Texas brings to this mission," Abbott said in a statement reported by Fox 7 Austin. He cited JSC, the state's universities, its commercial space industry and military installations.

Bonnen's team includes former NASA astronaut Nancy Currie-Gregg, who directs the Texas A&M Space Institute. Other members are University of Texas at El Paso President Heather Wilson, Intuitive Machines Senior Vice President Jack Fischer and Texas Space Commission board member Evan Loomis.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Aug. 28 at JSC creating a presidential commission to study the academy's design and location. The commission, chaired by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, held its first meeting Wednesday, Sept. 9. NASA then published a Request for Information on Thursday, Sept. 10, inviting governors to submit hosting proposals by Oct. 26.

The proposed academy is modeled after West Point and the Air Force Academy but would train graduates for careers across the Space Force, NASA and the civilian spaceflight industry. The Trump administration has targeted a 2027 groundbreaking, a temporary first class of 300 students in 2028 and full operations by 2031.

The commission's recommendations are due to the president by late December. Congress must pass legislation to formally establish the academy. Space policy expert Todd Harrison of the American Enterprise Institute told Tech Times he does not see the proposal becoming reality, calling it something neither NASA nor the Space Force needs.

Rep. Brian Babin, who chairs the U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Committee and represents the district that includes JSC, gives Texas additional congressional leverage in the siting fight. Gwen Griffin, chair of the Texas Space Commission, said the commission will support Abbott's initiative and work with Bonnen's team.

The commission's report is expected by late December.