Trump Creates a Space Academy and Honors the Artemis Astronauts

President Trump honored the Artemis II crew with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and signed an executive order establishing a new U.S. Space Academy. The crew, comprising NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canada's Jeremy Hansen, were the first humans to visit lunar territory since the 1970s during their April mission.

Trump praised the astronauts for inspiring the nation to learn more, stating that the purpose of their journey was to ignite a passion for discovery in the American public. The executive order authorizes the creation of the United States Space Academy, a new institution tasked with training and educating the top talent for NASA, the Space Force, and the commercial space sector.

A Presidential Commission will be formed to develop guidelines for the academy within 120 days. The commission will include NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Michael Kratsios, the president's assistant for science and technology. The location of the academy has yet to be determined, with Trump planning to announce a site choice soon.