Trump announces creation of US Space Academy

President Trump on Friday signed an executive order establishing the U.S. Space Academy to educate and train the next generation of engineers, operators and service members in the space realm.

“That’s a big deal. So, you think of West Point, and you think of Annapolis, and you think of the Air Force Academy, and you think of the Coast Guard Academy — great — they’re all great, but we’re going to have now a space force,” Trump said during his speech at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston.

“We’re going to have an academy for what the people in this room love the most,” he added.

During the event, Trump awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the crew of Artemis II.

The president signed the directive to kickstart the process of creating the U.S. Space Academy, establishing a commission that will be chaired by NASA administrator Jared Isaacman.

It will submit a report to the president within 120 days proposing key details for the establishment of the institution, according to the order.

The White House said in the directive that the Space Academy will be dedicated to “rigorous technical education with leadership development, discipline and a durable commitment to public service” to develop a “professional corps of civically grounded leaders prepared to advance American interests within the space domain.”

During his remarks Friday, the president added that he would be picking the location of the academy “very shortly.” He also noted that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is lobbying for the school to be established in Texas.

Trump has made space a major priority during both administrations. He signed a bill into law in 2019 that created the U.S. Space Force as a branch of the armed forces.