Trump Creates U.S. Space Academy

President Donald Trump signed an executive order to create the United States Space Academy, a NASA-led, Space Force–aligned institution with a 120-day commission to report on governance, curriculum, and implementation. The commission is chaired by NASA Administrator and includes Jared Isaacman, White House science adviser Michael Kratsios, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson, and acting national security adviser Marco Rubio, tasked with identifying actions requiring congressional approval. The academy would be taxpayer-funded with full scholarships to train space professionals for NASA, the Space Force, and other federal agencies, with its location to be decided shortly. Artemis II crew members were awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor during a Houston ceremony, where Trump praised their mission and invited them to the Oval Office. NASA officials emphasized the academy would supplement, not replace, existing astronaut training, with graduates potentially entering civil service or Space Force. Trump framed space leadership as central to his legacy, noting ongoing plans to return Americans to the Moon and pursue Mars, during remarks at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.