President Donald Trump announced the creation of the US Space Academy during a Friday ceremony at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas, where he honored the four-person Artemis II crew. The president signed an executive order to initiate the academy’s establishment, characterizing the new institution as a significant undertaking. Trump drew comparisons between the proposed academy and existing prestigious US service institutions, including the Naval Academy at Annapolis and the Military Academy at West Point, noting that the new academy would focus on space exploration and related fields.
The executive order also established a presidential commission tasked with advising on and assisting in the academy’s development. The commission is to be headed by NASA administrator Jared Isaacman and includes several senior administration officials: Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, and Russ Vought, who directs the White House Office of Management and Budget. According to Trump, graduates of the academy would serve in the US Space Force, NASA, and the civilian aerospace industry.
The announcement took place as Trump presented the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to each member of the Artemis II crew: NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, alongside Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. This medal represents the highest civilian honor in the United States for achievements in spaceflight. In April, the crew completed a mission that took humans further into space than previously achieved, looping around the far side of the moon as part of the administration’s broader initiative to return astronauts to the lunar surface by 2028.
Space policy has remained a central focus throughout Trump’s presidencies. In December 2019, he signed legislation establishing the Space Force as the sixth branch of the US military, framing it as a response to national security concerns. The Artemis program continues as a cornerstone of American space exploration ambitions, though recent developments have prompted adjustments to its timeline and scope, with upcoming missions scheduled to focus on orbital operations and safety protocols before lunar operations resume.
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