This August, we both had the opportunity to join Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Director John Wagner in welcoming NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman to Idaho Falls.

Administrator Isaacman’s visit was part of his nationwide effort to see firsthand the people and institutions that are shaping America’s future in space. His stop in Idaho highlighted something we already know well — some of the nation’s most consequential work in space is happening right here at home.

That is why Idaho should be part of the conversation about where the United States Space Academy takes shape.

Americans are explorers by nature, among the most adventurous the world has ever known. When President John F. Kennedy stood at Rice University and declared in his famous speech that “we would go to the moon, not because it was easy, but because it was hard,” he united a country behind space exploration.

Going to the moon was never just about reaching another world. Instead, it generated economic activity and inventions, but more importantly, it brought us together as an opportunistic nation.

Today, America faces another moment of opportunity.

President Donald Trump’s second term has been about American greatness and innovation. His recent executive order establishing the Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy is a fantastic idea to cultivate the next generation’s interest in space.

The EO recognizes the need to prepare the next generation of astronauts, scientists, engineers, and much more for the space domain. 

As the Commission considers how and where to build this institution, the traditional aerospace centers will understandably be part of the discussion. Texas, Florida, and Alabama, among others, have a substantial reason to be the big dogs in the discussion.

But Idaho shouldn’t be ruled out.

Thanks largely to INL, Idaho has expertise in space nuclear technology. Since the early 2000s, INL has assembled generators that were both fueled and tested at the Lab and are currently powering the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover, the Pluto New Horizons, and the Perseverance Rover. 

Research and development at INL is nothing like anything else in the universe, no pun intended. As the nation’s center for nuclear energy research, INL powers exploration of the Solar System and does what people once thought was impossible.

NASA and INL’s longstanding partnership and continued development of nuclear technologies will power our future on Earth and beyond. 

Idaho also has the resources to prepare for the next generation of space leadership.

Boise State University, Idaho State University, and the University of Idaho are teaching students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — all fields that can contribute to America’s space workforce. 

Our educational institutions are building STEM pathways for students. These pathways can lead to long-term, successful careers. Some scientists and astronauts have already found opportunities to work, teach, and live in Idaho.

Our goal is not to convince the Commission, Americans, or even Idahoans that the academy belongs in Idaho. Instead, our state offers several important connections to the future of space exploration, and we shouldn’t rule out those contributions.

We have the experience and expertise that can power future missions. We also have the resources and environment where research can thrive. 

The next chapter of space exploration will require talent from different parts of our great nation. Idaho is ready to help write it.