North Dakota University System, and
Richard Myers, president of
Should the Space Command headquarters be located at
Offutt Air Force Base in
Bellevue, one of six finalists announced by the
Air Force last month, the university partners have pledged to create a "
Higher Education Space Research and Workforce Alliance."
"As presidents of four diverse Midwestern public universities — all founded with a mission to teach, do research and conduct outreach for the greater good — we're in close contact about our opportunities to collaborate in support of the space mission," their op-ed reads.
Carter said the partnership began to coalesce in the last three weeks in conversations and drafting of a white paper exploring the concept. They hope the op-ed piece is read by top officials at the Pentagon.