President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday to establish the U.S. Space Academy, a new institution intended to train individuals for the U.S. Space Force, NASA, and the civilian spaceflight sector. Trump announced the initiative during remarks at NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Trump compared the significance of the U.S. Space Academy to that of the United States Military Academy at West Point and the United States Coast Guard Academy. The location for the new academy has not yet been determined, but Trump indicated a site would be chosen soon.
"We're going to have an academy for what the people in this room love the most. That's exciting. That's really exciting. And I'm going to be choosing a location very shortly," Trump stated.
The Space Force, established as a new branch of the military during Trump's first term, will be a primary beneficiary of the academy's training programs. The institution will also support NASA's ongoing space exploration efforts and the growing civilian spaceflight industry.
During the event, Trump also presented the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the four members of the Artemis II crew. The medal, first awarded to Neil Armstrong in 1978, recognized the crew's contributions. The Artemis II crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (mission commander) and Victor Glover (pilot), NASA astronaut Christina Koch (mission specialist), and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen (mission specialist).