Gov. Katie Hobbs recently formed a committee of space-industry and university experts to develop the state’s proposal. The bid is due next month, and Arizona is competing with states including Texas and Ohio.

The proposed academy would offer a broad introduction to space exploration before students specialize in areas such as engineering, science, leadership, policy or business. It is intended to prepare graduates for work connected to NASA missions.

“This is really about preparing the next generation of leaders for space exploration,” said Laurie Leshin, an Arizona State University professor of space futures and former director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She described the concept as bringing together ideas that have previously been pursued separately.

Arizona State University and the University of Arizona are helping shape the proposal. Supporters point to the state’s history of training astronauts for Apollo and Artemis missions, as well as university research and engineering work tied to NASA.

Erika Hamden, director of the University of Arizona Space Institute and a committee member, cited the university’s work on hardware for the James Webb Space Telescope and the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample-return mission.

Hamden said an academy could attract more students and space-related companies to Arizona, potentially creating opportunities for graduates to build careers in the state. Leshin said a campus could also draw new industry, ideas and missions.

The proposal remains under development; Arizona has not been selected as the academy’s location. The competition’s outcome could determine whether the state gains a new center for space-focused education and related research and employment.