{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sen-banks-urges-u-s-space-academy-commission-to-select-grissom/", "Sen. Banks Urges U.S. Space Academy Commission to Select Grissom", "2026-09-24", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IN", "Jim Banks", "B001299", "www.banks.senate.gov", "banks", "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) urged the Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy to select Grissom Air Reserve Base and the surrounding Grissom Aeroplex in Indiana as the home of the new U.S. Space Academy.\n\nIn a letter to Commission Chairman Jared Isaacman, Senator Banks highlighted Grissom\u2019s connection to Indiana native Lieutenant Colonel Virgil I. \u201cGus\u201d Grissom, one of America\u2019s original seven astronauts and the second American to fly in space. He also pointed to the site\u2019s capacity for classrooms, housing, and training infrastructure, as well as its 12,501-foot runway, one of the longest in the Midwest.\n\nRead the full letter here or below:\n\nDear Chairman Isaacman and Members of the Commission:\n\nI write to respectfully urge you and the commission to consider Grissom Air Reserve Base and the surrounding Grissom Aeroplex in Indiana as home of the U.S. Space Academy.\n\nNamed in honor of Indiana native Lieutenant Colonel Virgil I. \u201cGus\u201d Grissom, one of America\u2019s original seven astronauts and the second to fly in space, Grissom offers a fitting connection between America\u2019s earliest achievements in human spaceflight and the next generation of American space leaders. The installation and surrounding Aeroplex also offer substantial capacity for future classrooms, housing, and training infrastructure, along with access to a 12,501-foot runway, one of the longest in the Midwest.\n\nIndiana also offers the academic and industrial ecosystem necessary to support the Academy\u2019s long-term mission. The state offers a low cost of living, leading STEM and research universities, and a growing aerospace, defense, and advanced-manufacturing workforce. Indiana companies already contribute directly to America\u2019s space missions, including 21 suppliers supporting NASA\u2019s Artemis program. Locating the Space Academy at Grissom would give cadets access to this broader network and create opportunities to connect classroom education with hands-on experience across the civil, commercial, and national security sectors.\n\nThank you for considering Grissom Air Reserve Base in Indiana as the headquarters for U.S.\n\nSpace Force. I look forward to working with the Commission to bring the Academy to Indiana.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-25T10:04:52Z", "2026-09-25T10:05:46Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sen-banks-urges-u-s-space-academy-commission-to-select-grissom/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6679808720946312, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}