President Donald Trump signs order creating US Space Academy

United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order establishing the country's first-ever Space Academy.

Key points

• On Friday during an event honoring the four-person Artemis II crew at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Texas, Trump created the unexpected announcement.
• In May, an unmanned Blue Origin rocket exploded at a launch facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida, causing damage to the site.
• The mission will practice docking with Moon lander models from the private firms Blue Origin and SpaceX.
• Space has been a significant priority during Trump's two terms in the White House.
• The president remarked graduates of the new academy would serve the US Space Force, NASA and the civilian flight industry.

On Friday during an event honoring the four-person Artemis II crew at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Texas, Trump created the unexpected announcement. He described the training facility as "a big deal" and remarked it would be "top line".

"I ⁠will sign an executive order ⁠to commence the process of creating a new national ‌academy. It's called the US Space Academy, " Trump ‌informed the astronauts and NASA employees who gathered to hear him speak.

Trump likened the space academy to other prestigious US service institutions, like the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and the US Military Academy in West Point, New York. Those schools, similar to colleges, prepare a select number of young adults in the US to become officers in the country's military branches.

"They're all great. But. We're gonna have an academy for what the individuals in this room love the most, " Trump stated. "That's really exciting."

Meanwhile, the order additionally establishes a new presidential commission that would "advise and assist" Trump in the academy's creation.

This commission will be led by NASA administrator Jared Isaacman and include top administration authorities, among them Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink and Russ Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.

For context, the president remarked graduates of the new academy would serve the US Space Force, NASA and the civilian flight industry.

"It'll attract, train and graduate the very best of our nation, " Trump continued.

Space has been a significant priority during Trump's two terms in the White House. In December 2019, Trump signed into law a bill establishing the Space Force, marking the creation of the US military's sixth branch.

"There are grave threats to our national security, " Trump remarked at the time. "The Space Force will help us deter aggression and control the ultimate high ground."

At Friday's ceremony, Trump presented the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to each of the four members of this year's Artemis II crew: NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

Meanwhile, the medal is the highest civilian honour in the US for achievement in space flight.

In April, the Artemis II crew looped around the far side of the moon, taking humans further into space than ever before. The mission was an significant step in the Trump administration's plan to return astronauts to the moon by 2028.

Trump remarked one of his meetings this past spring was interrupted by news of the crew's endeavours.

"I was at a very important meeting with the biggest people in the country, " Trump explained. "And somebody remarked, 'I'd like to watch Artemis.' I stated, 'You would? Really?'".

He continued that he paused the gathering to accommodate the request. "We actually had a television pulled up, and everybody was spellbound."

At Friday's event, the Artemis II crew additionally presented Trump with a gift: a blue flight jacket with the NASA logo.

"Mr President, when we were in your office and you were so gracious to us – lavishing us with gifts and so much of your time – we had mentioned getting you one of these blue flight jackets, " Glover remarked to Trump. "And so here we have your jacket today." But the future of the Artemis exploration initiative remains unclear.

In May, an unmanned Blue Origin rocket exploded at a launch facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida, causing damage to the site. The incident spurred questions regarding NASA's readiness for upcoming missions.

Notably, the Artemis III mission was initially projected to return humankind to the moon. But in February, NASA scrapped that plan, instead announcing that Artemis III would focus on running drills in Earth's orbit, to ensure the safety of future moon missions.

Notably, the mission will practice docking with Moon lander models from the private firms Blue Origin and SpaceX.

In June, NASA confirmed new crew members for the two-week Artemis III mission, scheduled for next year.

For now, president Donald Trump signs order creating US Space Academy remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.