US to get new NASA-led space academy, Trump signs order: What is it all about? Explained

In a big boost to the US' space ambitions, President Donald Trump announced the creation of a new national military academy — the US Space Academy — on Friday. Speaking at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Trump said that, just as there is an Air Force and a Coast Guard Academy, the US will now have a “Space Force.”

"Today, I have another historic announcement to make. Given the rapid growth of the space force, expansion of our ambitions to the moon, far beyond the moon...It's clear that we need to educate and train an entire generation of skilled service members, engineers and civil operators...," Trump said.

He was addressing an event awarding the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the four-person crew of Artemis II, which flew around the moon earlier this year, a flight that helps set the stage for a lunar landing in 2028.

“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 astronauts and NASA employees who gathered to hear him speak.

"That's a big deal. So you think of West Point, and you think of Annapolis, and you think of the Air Force Academy, and you think of the Coast Guard academies. Great, they're all great. But we're going to have now the Space Force. We're going to have an academy for what the people in this room love the most," Trump announced.

Notably, Space Force officer candidates are generally commissioned through the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, also has a long tradition of its graduates becoming astronauts.

Following his speech at Johnson Space Centre, , President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to create a "Presidential Commission" to begin the process of establishing a new federal academy that "will prepare the next generation of Americans to advance our Nation’s interests in space."

What do we know about the new US space academy?

The US Space Academy is a proposed NASA-led federal academy dedicated to combining rigorous technical education with leadership development, discipline, and a durable commitment to public service, according to a factsheet released by the US government on Friday.

The president said the space academy would “serve both the United States Space Force as well as NASA and the civilian spaceflight industry.”

It will prepare graduates for careers supporting America’s military, civil, and broader space enterprise.

According to Ars Technica, the goal is to create a top-tier educational institution with free tuition and, in return, graduating students to fulfill a service commitment of several years.

Graduates will reportedly have the choice of going into the US Space Force, but the majority of slots will be allocated to NASA and civilian positions, people familiar with the project told Ars Technica.

Trump had signed a bill creating the United States Space Force in 2019. It was established on December 20, 2019, creating the first new branch of the armed services since 1947.

Trump has attended multiple NASA launches and now aims to return Americans to the moon and eventually reach Mars. He has pledged that the US will land astronauts on the moon during his final year in office.

Here are key points from the fact-sheet:

1. What is Presidential Commission?

The executive order establishes the “Presidential Commission” on the United States Space Academy, chaired by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.

As per the order, the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology (APST) and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy (APEP) will serve as Vice Chairs of the Commission. The Deputy Administrator of NASA will serve as Executive Director.

The Commission will include the following officials or their designees:

(i) the Secretary of War;

(ii) the Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff;

(iii) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;

(iv) the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs;

(v) the Secretary of the Air Force; and

(vi) other full-time or permanent part-time employees of the Federal Government invited to join the Commission, at the discretion of the Chair, in consultation with the Vice Chairs.

The commission will advise and assist the President on establishing the United States Space Academy.

It will submit recommendations to the President, addressing various details of the Academy, including proposals regarding a governance framework, curricula, service obligations of graduates, applicant prerequisites, a process for selecting a permanent location, administrative actions for pilot programs and partnerships, legislative strategy, and implementation strategy.

The NASA Administrator, in coordination with relevant agencies, shall implement the Commission’s approved recommendations, following approval by the President and any necessary legislative action.

2. Where will this US Space Academy be located?

The Trump administration hasn't yet chosen a location for the academy, but, according to CBS News, Trump said that Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is lobbying for Texas.

"I'm going to be choosing a location very shortly," Trump said. "I know where some people want it that are in this audience. Some people come down at this one guy over there. He's lobbying me. Say, 'Leave me alone, just leave me alone.' I'm not sure he's going to get it. I don't know if he's going to get it. But everybody wants it because it's the hot thing. Space is the hot thing," he added, as per the report.

"Just leave me alone, Ted, please, leave me alone," he joked.

It's not clear what kind of access the civilian spaceflight industry will have to the federal academy.

3. Who will fund the US Space Academy?

It is yer unclear how logistics for the space academy — including building the campus, creating the programming and recruiting students — would work. Funding would need to be approved by Congress, which is historically gridlocked, Reuters reported.

4.Why is the need for a US Space Academy?

The White House, in its factsheet, emphasised ever-increasing competition in the space sector.

It notes that "the United States must recruit, train, and retain America’s best and brightest to maintain our leadership in exploration and technology while securing and defending our national interests."

The factsheet also stated that the Academy will encourage and guide the next generation of Americans to pursue cutting-edge, technical fields that "currently do not have a sufficient amount of programs and graduates needed to ensure America maintains superiority in space."