New York has an opportunity to put the Hudson Valley at the center of America’s next chapter in space exploration — and it should seize it.

NASA is seeking a future location for the United States Space Academy, an institution envisioned as a training ground for scientists, engineers, astronauts, pilots, operators, entrepreneurs, civil servants and other leaders in the aerospace sector. New York should make a strong case for Stewart International Airport in New Windsor as the site of that academy.

The proposal makes sense on virtually every level: history, infrastructure, geography, military connections, education and economic development.

As state Sen. James Skoufis has urged Gov. Kathy Hochul, Stewart offers something few potential sites can match. The airport has significant available development opportunities, direct access to Interstate 84 and the New York State Thruway, and an existing aviation infrastructure that includes one of the few runways in the country designated for space shuttle landings.

But Stewart’s greatest advantage may be its history.

Stewart’s relationship with the nation’s military and aerospace programs dates back more than 90 years. Stewart Airfield was established in 1934 as a cadet flight-training site associated with the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. During World War II, the federal government took over the facility and expanded it substantially for military training. In 1948, it became Stewart Air Force Base.

That history continued through the Cold War, when Stewart became home to a Semi-Automatic Ground Environment, or SAGE, direction center involved in the nation’s air-defense network.

In other words, the Hudson Valley isn’t trying to manufacture an aerospace identity to win this competition. Stewart has been part of America’s military aviation story for generations.

Today, that legacy is reinforced by the presence of the Stewart Air National Guard Base and by the airport’s proximity to West Point. A Space Academy that combines technical education, leadership development and civic responsibility would find a natural home in a region already accustomed to the demands and traditions of military education.

There is also a broader argument for New York.

Patrick Chase, co-founder of Empire Space, put it well in his Oct. 1 letter to the governor:

“New York is a major American space hub, leading the country in diverse space-focused fields including cybersecurity, optics, defense, software, specialty manufacturing, data analysis, and medicine.”

That is an important point. The modern space industry isn’t simply about rockets and astronauts. It encompasses advanced manufacturing, computing, cybersecurity, medicine, optics, artificial intelligence, communications and countless other disciplines. New York has substantial expertise in many of those fields.

Chase also noted New York’s historic contributions to the nation’s space program, including the construction of Apollo lunar landers and the development of optics used in major NASA telescopes.

The state should build on that legacy rather than watch the opportunity go elsewhere.

The economic implications for the Hudson Valley could be considerable. A permanent United States Space Academy would bring students, faculty, researchers and visitors to the region. It could attract aerospace companies and technology firms, create high-skilled jobs and encourage partnerships with colleges, universities and existing businesses.

It could also give young people in the Hudson Valley a direct pathway into some of the nation’s most exciting and consequential fields.

There will undoubtedly be questions about cost, infrastructure, housing, transportation and how an academy would fit into the existing airport and surrounding communities. Those questions deserve serious answers. Supporting Stewart does not mean ignoring those challenges.

It means recognizing that this is precisely the kind of transformational opportunity worth exploring.

NASA is looking for a location that can support both an immediate launch of instruction and the eventual development of a permanent campus. Stewart’s existing aviation infrastructure, available land, military connections and regional transportation network give New York a compelling starting point.

And there is something fitting about putting the United States Space Academy in a place whose history is already intertwined with the nation’s military aviation heritage.

Stewart began as a training ground for young military aviators connected to West Point. It evolved into a major Air Force installation and played a role in America’s Cold War defense. Today it is an international airport and home to an active Air National Guard presence.

The next logical chapter could be helping prepare the Americans who will lead the nation into space.

Gov. Hochul should designate New York’s responding entities, pursue the state’s application and put Stewart International Airport forward as New York’s candidate for the United States Space Academy.

The Hudson Valley has the history. It has the infrastructure. It has the military connections. It has the location.

Now it needs the vision.

Stewart should be New York’s choice.