Governor Hochul Shows Interest in Skoufis Plan to Bring Space Academy to Stewart Airport

Yisroel R.

Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration is showing interest in a proposal by State Senator James Skoufis to bring President Donald Trump’s planned U.S. Space Academy to New York Stewart International Airport, marking a new development in the effort to bring the major federal project to Orange County.

According to Skoufis, he has already met with senior state officials, who expressed interest in the proposal and agreed that Stewart could be an attractive location for the academy. The state is now expected to examine the feasibility of the plan before deciding whether to move forward.

As previously reported by Daily Monroe on October 6, Skoufis urged Governor Hochul to submit Stewart Airport as New York’s candidate to host the newly established U.S. Space Academy, which is intended to train future astronauts, engineers, scientists, and other professionals for the nation’s growing space program. Skoufis pointed to Stewart’s long runway, large areas of undeveloped land, and proximity to West Point and the Stewart Air National Guard Base as major advantages.

The proposal comes as officials are also working on separate plans to expand commercial airline service at Stewart. Skoufis has been pushing a minimum revenue guarantee program aimed at attracting additional airlines and flight routes to the airport, raising questions about how the two proposals might work together if Stewart is selected to host the academy.

However, the latest statements from Skoufis suggest that the academy would potentially be developed around the airport’s existing operations, not interfering with efforts to expand commercial flights at the airport. State officials will need to examine FAA regulations governing construction around airports, along with requirements involving the Port Authority, which operates Stewart Airport on land owned by the New York Department of Transportation.

NASA has asked all states to submit one proposed location in their state by October 26, but has recently been extended for November 16, leaving the Hochul administration a few weeks to decide whether Stewart will be their candidate.