WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump ordered the creation of a federal commission Friday to develop plans for a United States Space Academy, opening a 120-day process that could lead to a NASA-led institution training scientists, engineers, military personnel and other professionals for government service in an increasingly strategic space sector.
The Aug. 28 executive order does not itself establish the academy. Instead, it creates the Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy and directs it to recommend how the institution should be structured, funded and implemented, including identifying any congressional action required.
NASA’s administrator will chair the commission, with the White House science and technology adviser and economic policy adviser serving as vice chairs. The NASA deputy administrator will serve as executive director.
Other members include the Secretary of War, Secretary of the Air Force, White House chief of staff, Office of Management and Budget director and national security adviser, or their designees. Additional federal officials may be invited to participate.
The administration envisions the proposed academy as combining technical education with leadership development and a commitment to public service, creating a pipeline of workers for the nation’s military, civilian and commercial space sectors.
The commission must report to Trump within 120 days with recommendations covering the academy’s governance, academic programs, admissions requirements, graduate service commitments and permanent location.
Among the options the commission is specifically required to evaluate is placing the academy within NASA. It must also determine what accreditations and legal authorities would be necessary and how the institution would interact with other federal departments and agencies.
The commission will consider potential degree programs and experiential training as well as whether graduates should incur service obligations in the Armed Forces or civilian federal government.
Applicant requirements — including citizenship, security clearances and potential government or military status — are also part of the review.
The order directs the commission to examine steps that could be taken under existing federal authority before the academy is formally created, including pilot programs and partnerships. It must separately identify legislation necessary to carry out recommendations that cannot be implemented administratively.
The academy’s location has not been selected. The commission is tasked with proposing a process for choosing a permanent site after determining the appropriate governance structure.
The initiative reflects the administration’s effort to expand the workforce available for military, civilian and commercial space operations as the United States increases investment in exploration, launch capacity and national-security capabilities.
“Space is a critical domain for American national security, economic growth, scientific discovery, and technological innovation,” Trump wrote in the order, arguing that continued U.S. leadership requires recruiting and training a new generation of astronauts, scientists, engineers, operators, entrepreneurs, civil servants and warfighters.
The White House also characterized the academy as a response to shortages of educational programs and graduates in technical fields considered important to maintaining U.S. capabilities in space.
The proposal follows a series of administration actions aimed at expanding U.S. space operations. The White House cited the Artemis II lunar-orbit mission in April, proposed changes to environmental reviews for launch infrastructure and an August national-security directive setting a goal of more than 1,000 launches and reentries annually from U.S. territory by 2030.
Creation of the academy remains contingent on Trump’s approval of the commission’s recommendations, any required legislation and available federal funding.
After those steps, the executive order directs NASA’s administrator to coordinate implementation with other relevant federal agencies.
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