President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday establishing the United States' first Space Academy, a new institution designed to train future leaders for the US Space Force, NASA, and the civilian space flight industry.
The announcement came during an event at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Texas, where Trump was honoring the four-person Artemis II crew. He described the academy as "a big deal" and said it would be "top line," according to Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.
"I will sign an executive order to begin the process of creating a new national academy. It's called the US Space Academy," Trump told the assembled astronauts and NASA employees, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Trump likened the Space Academy to prestigious US service institutions such as the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and the Military Academy at West Point, New York. These schools prepare a select group of young Americans to become officers in the military. The president expressed that the new academy would be for those passionate about space.
The executive order also creates a presidential commission to advise and assist in the academy's development. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will lead the commission, which includes Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, and Russ Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, according to Al Jazeera.
Trump said graduates would serve the US Space Force, NASA, and the civilian flight industry, adding, "It'll attract, train, and graduate the very best of our nation."
Trump has credited the US Space Force, the sixth branch of the armed forces, with playing an important role in recent American military operations in Venezuela and Iran, as noted by South China Morning Post.
Neither report indicated where the new academy would be built.