New Space Academy Announced as Trump Awards Honors to Artemis II Crew

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday establishing the United States Space Academy, a new military institution dedicated to training personnel for the Space Force, NASA, and the burgeoning commercial space sector.

The announcement came during a presidential visit to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where Trump outlined his vision for expanding America’s capabilities beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

“The rapid growth of the Space Force and the commercial space industry and the expansion of our ambitions to the moon and far beyond the moon” necessitated the creation of this specialized institution, the president explained. “It is clear that we need to educate and train an entire generation of skilled service members, engineers, civil operators and everything else to do what we have to do.”

The new academy represents a significant expansion of the nation’s military education infrastructure, joining the established service academies at West Point, Annapolis, Colorado Springs, New London, and Kings Point. While Trump provided limited specifics about the academy’s curriculum or organizational structure, he indicated that a location would be selected “very shortly.”

Following the announcement, Trump participated in a historic first, becoming the initial sitting president to communicate with astronauts aboard the International Space Station from Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center. The exchange allowed him to share news of the academy directly with those currently serving in orbit.

Astronaut Jack Hathaway, a U.S. Navy officer and Naval Academy graduate, expressed enthusiasm about the development. “I graduated from the Naval Academy. I’m sure they’re more than excited to support it and have it on board,” Hathaway told the president.

Space station mission commander Jessica Meir assured Trump that the crew “will continue doing our best to inspire all of the bright minds and the next generation as well.”

The president also used the occasion to present the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the crew members of NASA’s Artemis II mission, which successfully completed a lunar orbit earlier this year. The ceremony recognized their contributions to America’s return to deep space exploration.

During his remarks, Trump painted an ambitious picture of humanity’s future among the stars. “Far beyond the moon will someday be thought of as a close location, like, like in the old days, the subway, the first stop, the moon will be a close location,” he said.

The Artemis II crew presented Trump with a personalized NASA flight jacket during the visit, a gesture symbolizing the partnership between the nation’s civilian space agency and the executive branch.

The establishment of a dedicated space academy reflects the growing importance of orbital and extraterrestrial operations to American national security and economic interests. Since its establishment as an independent military branch in 2019, the Space Force has expanded rapidly, requiring specialized personnel trained in the unique demands of space-based operations.

The academy will presumably address this need while also supporting NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustained human presence on the lunar surface, and the expanding commercial space industry that now includes multiple launch providers and satellite operators.

“I just congratulate everybody. And be careful. Be safe. And we love you all,” Trump told the astronauts before concluding the historic call.