What Is Trump’s U.S. Space Academy?

Introduction

Are you a fan of Steve Carell and his comedy style? If you are, you've surely seen The Office, but have you seen his newer work, particularly Space Force?

This 2020-released workplace comedy-drama series follows Air Force General Mark Naird (Carell) and his team, who are tasked with establishing the sixth branch of the United States Armed Forces: the U.S. Space Force and achieving their goal of getting "boots on the Moon" by 2024, as per the President's orders.

In the real world, the U.S. government is planning something similar. Not solely getting back to the Moon, but it did actually establish the U.S. Space Force on December 20, 2019, to organize, train, and equip people to protect the country's interests in space.

Now, U.S. President Donald Trump has taken the next step in strengthening this dream, with plans to create the U.S. Space Academy.

So, what's the intention of this new initiative and how will it help U.S. space programs? Let's explore!
 

What Is Trump’s U.S. Space Academy?

As of September 1, 2026, the U.S. Space Academy is still a proposal, and President Donald Trump has begun the process of establishing it through an executive order signed on August 28.

The Trump Space Academy executive order, officially titled “Establishing the United States Space Academy,” created the Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy to advise Trump on how the academy should be built and operated.

The White House describes the U.S. Space Academy as a NASA-led federal academy combining technical education, leadership development, discipline, and public service. It is intended to prepare future astronauts, scientists, engineers, operators, entrepreneurs, civil servants, and warfighters for America’s space ambitions.

“Given the rapid growth of the U.S. Space Force and commercial space industry, and the expansion of our ambitions to the Moon and far beyond the Moon, it’s clear we will need to educate and train an entire generation of skilled service members, engineers, and civil operators,” said President Trump. “That’s why I will sign an Executive Order to begin the process of creating a new a national academy called the U.S. Space Academy.”

Unlike the fictional team in Space Force, though, nobody is moving into a new campus yet. First comes the mission.

 

What Is The Purpose Of The Space Academy?

The purpose is to strengthen America’s future space workforce.

The order frames space as important to national security, economic growth, scientific discovery, and technological innovation. It argues that maintaining U.S. leadership will require more people with both technical expertise and leadership skills.

That is why the NASA-led Space Academy is expected to combine technical education with leadership training, discipline, experiential learning, and public service. Trump also linked the need for such training to the growth of the U.S. Space Force, commercial space activity, and broader American ambitions in space.

That explains the mission. The next question is where this real-life Space Force-style academy will call home.
 

Where Will The U.S. Space Academy Be Located?

Nowhere. At least not yet.

At the time of the executive order, the academy had no finalized location. Choosing one has been tasked to the commission, which must recommend a process for selecting a permanent physical location suited to the final governance model.

Trump said the White House would accept proposals and suggested a location could be chosen soon. However, the order names no city, state, NASA center, military installation, or university.

So, where will the U.S. Space Academy be located? For now, that remains unanswered.

Before anyone puts a pin on the map, though, there is a team tasked with designing what goes there.
 

Who Is On The U.S. Space Academy Commission?

NASA leads the commission.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman is chair, Michael Kratsios and Kevin Hassett are vice chairs, and NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson is executive director.

It also includes the Secretary of War, White House Chief of Staff, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, National Security Advisor, Secretary of the Air Force, or their designees. Other federal employees may also be invited, while working groups can consult academia and industry.

“President Trump’s vision for a new academy is a transformational step to educate the engineers, scientists, technicians, operators and even the astronauts who will be necessary for the inspiring future we are pursuing in space," said Isaacman. "In the years ahead, we will return NASA astronauts to the lunar surface, build the Moon Base, get underway on nuclear power, ignite the orbital economy and launch more missions of science and discovery. I have no doubt that so much of the future talent that will graduate and contribute to these exciting endeavors will be educated at the United States Space Academy.”

So, who will run the U.S. Space Academy is a question that doesn't have a final answer yet. The commission is designing the model, while NASA would implement approved recommendations with other agencies after presidential approval and any required legislative action.

Now that the team is assembled, what exactly has it been asked to decide?

 

What Will The U.S. Space Academy Commission Decide?

How will the U.S. Space Academy work? That is what the commission has 120 days to recommend.

Its report must address:
 

• governance, organizational structure, accreditation, and agency relationships;

• degree programs, curriculum, leadership development, and experiential training;

• military or civilian federal service obligations for graduates;

• applicant prerequisites, including citizenship, security clearances, government employment, or military status;

• selection of a permanent location;

• pilot programs, partnerships, and coordination with existing federal education programs;

• required administrative or legislative action; and

• an implementation strategy and timeline.

The commission must also consider whether the academy should be established within NASA.
In short, most details people expect from a university announcement are still on the commission’s homework sheet.
 

When Could The U.S. Space Academy Become A Reality?

There is no confirmed opening date.

Once the commission submits its report, its recommendations would need presidential approval, while some measures may require legislation and funding before NASA and other agencies can implement them.

So, when will the U.S. Space Academy open? The order does not say. It also gives no admissions calendar, first academic year, student intake, or construction timeline.

For now, Trump has ordered the blueprint to be drawn. What comes next depends on what the commission puts in it.
   

Conclusion

Trump’s U.S. Space Academy is not a functioning school yet, but the groundwork is officially underway. Its purpose is clear: develop people who can support America’s growing ambitions in space. What remains unclear is how that idea becomes an institution, from its campus and curriculum to admissions and opening date. For now, the commission has the assignment, and its report should provide the first real blueprint.