WASHINGTON, D.C. — A presidential commission began work Wednesday on a proposed U.S. Space Academy that would train military and civilian space professionals, starting a 120-day process to determine how the new federal institution could be structured and implemented.
The commission held its first meeting at NASA headquarters in Washington, bringing together officials from NASA, the War Department and other parts of the federal government. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman chairs the panel.
President Donald Trump established the commission through an Aug. 28 executive order that describes the proposed academy as NASA-led and focused on technical education, leadership development and public service.
The commission must recommend a governance structure, academic and leadership curriculum, potential service obligations for graduates, applicant prerequisites and a process for selecting a permanent location.
Its report must also address possible pilot programs and partnerships, legislative requirements and an implementation strategy. The executive order gives the commission 120 days from Aug. 28 to submit its recommendations to the president.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who attended the inaugural meeting, characterized the academy as part of a broader effort to strengthen U.S. capabilities in space.
“We need to dominate [in space]; and it’s not just what we do at the War Department — it’s what we do across government, at NASA, in private industry, in collaboration at every echelon,” Hegseth stated. “And so, we see this academy as a key component of ensuring we don’t just lead, but we dominate.”
The initiative would build a training pipeline spanning civilian and military roles, including technicians, engineers, operators, pilots and astronauts serving NASA, the Space Force and other federal agencies.
Isaacman framed the proposal against intensifying competition with China and Russia, arguing that the timetable for maintaining U.S. capabilities in space is increasingly compressed.
“This is why I think President Trump created the Space Force in his first term … and why now he has charged us to create the United States Space Academy,” Isaacman stated, describing the proposed institution as a training ground for the next generation of space professionals.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink also identified the academy as a mechanism for developing both civilian and military personnel while expanding cooperation between NASA and the military.
The Space Force was established in December 2019 as a military service within the Department of the Air Force. The proposed academy would be a separate federal institution whose final structure, authorities and location remain subjects for the commission’s recommendations.
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