Fact Sheets
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Establishes a Commission to Design the United States Space Academy
The White House
August 28, 2026
BUILDING THE NEXT GENERATION OF AMERICAN SPACE LEADERS: Today, 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.
The Order establishes the Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy, chaired by the NASA Administrator.
The Commission will advise and assist the President on establishing the United States Space Academy, a proposed NASA-led federal academy dedicated to combining rigorous technical education with leadership development, discipline, and a durable commitment to public service.
The United States Space Academy will combine rigorous technical education with leadership development and public service, preparing graduates for careers supporting America’s military, civil, and broader space enterprise.
The Commission 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.
ADVANCING AMERICAN SPACE SUPERIORITY: American superiority in space depends not only on our technology, but on the strength, skill, and character of the Americans who explore, secure, and build the industries critical to it.
Space is a critical domain for American national security, economic growth, scientific discovery, and technological innovation.
As competition in space intensifies, 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 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.
BUILDING AMERICAN STRENGTH AND DRIVING ACHIEVEMENT: President Trump has demonstrated consistent leadership as a driving force for American strength and achievement in space.
President Trump spearheaded the establishment of the Space Force, the first new branch of the Armed Forces since the creation of the Air Force more than 70 years ago. The Space Force is critical to preparing the Department of War for evolving warfighting conditions and expanding our capabilities.
During his first term, President Trump issued seven groundbreaking Space Policy Directives that instructed NASA to return American astronauts to the Moon and beyond through the Artemis Program, reformed our Nation’s commercial space regulatory framework, established cybersecurity principles for space systems, and much more.
In April 2026, America sent astronauts on Artemis II to lunar orbit for the first time in over 50 years.
In August 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order enabling competition in the commercial space industry to ensure the United States maintains its leading role in the commercial use of space.
In December 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order setting a bold vision for an America First space policy to ensure the United States leads the world in space exploration, security, and commerce.
In July 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a significant proposed rulemaking to waive burdensome environmental reviews for launch infrastructure and enable a commercial space launch renaissance.
In August 2026, President Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum reinvigorating America’s leadership in space transportation and enabling over 1,000 launches and reentries on American soil annually by 2030.
