Trump Signs an Order Creating a U.S. Space Academy and Says He Will Pick Its Location 'Very Shortly'

Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 28 at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston beginning the creation of a U.S. Space Academy for the Space Force, NASA and the commercial space industry. NASA's release says the order names Administrator Jared Isaacman to chair a Presidential Commission on the academy, with Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson as executive director and White House aides Michael Kratsios and Kevin Hassett as vice chairs. A report is due to the president within 120 days recommending a governance framework, service obligations for graduates, a physical location and any legislative requirements. Trump announced it while awarding the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the Artemis II crew, saying the school must be "the equivalent" of West Point and Annapolis.

The existing service academies were each created by statute, and the order's own report is tasked with identifying what legislation a new one would require, placing the initiative ahead of the congressional authorization it may need.

No location has been chosen. Trump said Sen. Ted Cruz is lobbying for Texas and that he would decide "very shortly.