Payam Javan: President Donald Trump has signed an executive order establishing the United States Space Academy, a dedicated training institution for the country’s Space Force. Announcing the initiative during a visit to NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, Trump compared the new institution to prestigious military academies such as West Point, the Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy.

The primary objective of the academy is to educate and train future space commanders, service members, engineers, and civilian operators. This development aligns with the rapid expansion of both the U.S. Space Force and the commercial space sector, reflecting Washington’s increasingly competitive and ambitious objectives in lunar exploration and beyond.

Highlighting the growth of the American space sector, Trump noted that the combined number of orbital rocket launches by the U.S. government and private entities rose from 22 in 2016 to nearly 200 last year. He emphasized that maintaining leadership in space is essential to maintaining global prominence on Earth, indicating that a decision on the academy’s physical location would be made in the near future.

The administration has reiterated its commitment to landing American astronauts on the moon during the president’s final year in office. Furthermore, Trump announced that NASA has commenced development on a nuclear-powered interplanetary spacecraft, with a projected launch target for a Mars mission in 2028, potentially serving as the precursor to a larger fleet designed to normalize space travel.

Under the executive order, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will chair the newly formed Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy, with NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson serving as its executive director. Isaacman praised the initiative as a transformative step toward training the specialized workforce required for future lunar bases, nuclear propulsion, and the growing orbital economy.

During his visit to the Houston facility, Trump also presented the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the crew of the Artemis II mission. Additionally, he conducted a call with astronauts currently aboard the International Space Station to commend their service, marking a visit focused on reinforcing national space policy and celebrating current achievements.