President Trump on Friday signed an executive order launching the process to establish a U.S. Space Academy, a new institution intended to serve the U.S. Space Force, NASA and the civilian spaceflight industry.
Trump unveiled the plan at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where he attended a ceremony honoring the crew of Artemis II with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
“It’s called the U.S. Space Academy,” Mr. Trump said. “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.”
The president said the proposed academy would “attract, train and graduate the very best of our nation,” adding that he agreed to move forward with the project only on the condition that it be a top-tier institution.
The Trump administration has not yet selected a site for the academy, though the president noted that Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has been pressing for it to be located in his home state.
“I’m going to be choosing a location very shortly,” Mr. 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.
“Just leave me alone, Ted, please, leave me alone,” he joked.
Details remain limited, including how much access the civilian spaceflight industry would have to the federally backed academy.
Ibrahim Aksoy
contributed to this report.
