During a visit to Johnson Space Center, President Trump signed an executive order to establish the United States Space Academy, a new national academy aimed at educating and training skilled operators for space exploration. The proposed academy, according to US space officials, is not intended to be a traditional service academy like the Air Force Academy, but rather a top-tier educational institution with free tuition and a service commitment for graduates.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, leading the initiative, is working to modernize NASA by increasingly leaning on the commercial space industry. The Artemis II astronauts were honoured with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor during a ceremony in Houston, during which the executive order was signed.

The US Space Academy will fall under NASA's jurisdiction and will offer a unique opportunity for students to contribute to the space programme after graduation. Isaacman's Project Athena aims to revamp US civil space efforts, focusing on cutting-edge initiatives such as establishing a lunar base.

The initiative seeks to create a workforce capable of supporting NASA's future projects, including the Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the Moon. The majority of slots are expected to be allocated to NASA and civilian positions, with graduates having the option to join the US Space Force.