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Trump is proposing a US Space Academy – if created, it could blur the lines between NASA and the military
Trump is proposing a US Space Academy – if created, it could blur the lines between NASA and the military. Originally published by The Conversation.
By Wendy Whitman Cobb, Professor of Strategy and Security Studies, Air University · 2026-09-02T12:31:11.633Z
President Donald Trump shows off a signed copy of his executive order at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, flanked by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, right, and Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council. AP Photo/Karen Warren During a visit to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Aug. 28, 2026, President Donald Trump signed https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/08/trump calls for creation of a space academy to train future nasa leaders/ an executive order to create a United States Space Academy https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential actions/2026/08/establishing the united states space academy/ . The proposal, which would establish a NASA led institution set up along the lines of a military academy, is a new one. As a space policy expert https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=PxIOz7cAAAAJ&hl=en , I see several open questions and potential problems related to the vision Trump’s executive order described. The proposal During his first term in office, Trump undertook several actions supporting space exploration. He established https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis program the Artemis program, to return astronauts to the Moon https://theconversation.com/artemis iis long countdown a space historian explains why it has taken over 50 years to return to the moon 274165 , in 2017. A year later, he announced his support for a new branch of the military dedicated to space https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/13/trump floats the idea of creating a space force to fight wars in space.html . In 2019, this became reality with the establishment of the Space Force https://othjournal.com/2024/12/13/founding myths of the space force and the need to remember political reality/ . Given this record, it’s not surprising that Trump has continued to show interest in space during his second term. During his remarks in Texas, Trump stated that the U.S. Space Academy will “ serve both the United States Space Force https://singjupost.com/transcript trump remarks at the congressional space medal of honor presentation/ as well as NASA and the civilian spaceflight industry.” Further, he said the school would be comparable to the other service academies such as West Point, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy. The actual executive order https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential actions/2026/08/establishing the united states space academy/ doesn’t create a space academy outright. It establishes a commission that must gather information and give a report within 120 days about the feasibility of a U.S. Space Academy. The commission will be led by Jared Isaacman, the NASA administrator https://theconversation.com/trumps nomination for nasa leader boasts business and commercial spaceflight experience during a period of uncertainty for the agency 254274 , and will include, among others, the secretary of defense, the national security adviser and the director of the Office of Management and Budget. That order says the academy https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential actions/2026/08/establishing the united states space academy/ would “develop a professional corps of civically grounded leaders prepared to advance American interests within the space domain.” As a NASA led federal academy, it would be the first nonmilitary service academy that the government would run. The commission would then determine what exactly would be taught. Open questions Both Trump’s speech and the executive order leave several open questions. First, former NASA leaders https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/08/trump calls for creation of a space academy to train future nasa leaders/ and members of Congress https://x.com/gtwhitesides/status/2093535260575494272 have expressed concerns about https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/08/trump calls for creation of a space academy to train future nasa leaders/ the relationship between a space academy and the military. The president’s comparison of the space academy to the military academies and his use of the Space Force https://theconversation.com/space force sounds like a joke thanks to pop culture that could be a problem for an important military branch 155265 in justifying a space academy contradict the executive order’s description of the effort as NASA led, as NASA is not part of the military. This confusion even extends into reporting on Trump’s order, with news outlets running headlines like “ A West Point for Space https://www.wsj.com/politics/national security/a west point for space trump calls for new academy to train space personnel 3d3bb9a7 ?” Since the 1950s, American space policy has separated https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/21787/this new ocean by william e burrows/ civilian space efforts like NASA from military ones. While this division hasn’t always been perfect, the U.S. Space Academy proposal reignites a debate over this civilian military split. This leads to another question about what a space academy would teach. Military academies like West Point combine military training and education with typical college degree programs like engineering or the social sciences. It remains unclear what a space academy would teach and how much of its curriculum would be about military uses of space, versus exploration and science.
Cadets at the Air Force Academy listen to a speech. Many astronauts start their careers in the Air Force. AP Photo/Ed Andrieski The executive order opens up other questions about the academy’s relationship to civilian and military space programs. These include whether there are any potential obligations to serve in the Space Force and the extent to which Space Academy students would receive military specific training. A second problem involves Congress. Not only is Congress responsible for establishing new bureaucratic organizations, but it must also provide funding for them. So, congressional action will be required to actually create the U.S. Space Academy. While getting the exact funding numbers for the military service academies is difficult, one member of Congress estimated https://x.com/gtwhitesides/status/2093535260575494272 that each service academy costs roughly US$1 billion per year. Starting an entirely new academy would require significantly more than that. If, as the executive order suggests, NASA would lead the academy, funding may be even more difficult because funding NASA is not mandatory https://doi.org/10.1080/07343469.2011.640383 . In fact, it is often one of the first agencies to suffer budget cuts. Other questions also remain: How will students be selected? Or will they apply? Where will the academy be located? And what degrees will it offer? Implications Establishing the U.S. Space Academy could be a wise decision, as space is becoming more important in everyday life https://theconversation.com/us participation in space has benefits at home and abroad reaping them all will require collaboration 226278 . The pace of space activities – civilian, commercial and military – has increased significantly in the past decade and is poised to continue. For example, satellite constellations like SpaceX’s Starlink https://theconversation.com/how many satellites are orbiting earth 166715 provide internet access globally, and the Global Positioning System, GPS https://www.faa.gov/about/office org/headquarters offices/ato/service units/techops/navservices/gnss/gps/howitworks , is a vital part of the economy worldwide. A space academy could help educate the next generation of engineers, scientists and spacecraft operators https://www.spaceforce.com/enlisted careers/space systems operator .
A space academy could help train future space sector professionals, though many existing universities also offer programs for aerospace scientists and engineers. andreonegin/iStock via Getty Images But the biggest implication of this space academy proposal is that it would almost certainly lead to a reconsideration of the relationship between military and civilian space. The distinction between these two areas has been a cornerstone of U.S. space policy https://floridapress.org/9781683404064/space policy for the twenty first century/ for over 65 years. While the lines have been blurred at times, a U.S. Space Academy that serves as both a military and civilian institution confuses them even further. As tensions in space between the United States and its potential adversaries continue to rise https://spacenews.com/report u s needs framework for responding to hostile acts in space/ , balance will be necessary to avoid any potential escalation. Space activities that are civilian in nature, like scientific exploration, should not be confused with those that are distinctly military related, such as missile warning or defense, that might be seen as more aggressive. Keeping this distinction clear will help to clear up any confusion about U.S. intentions in space. It will also be important to define the precise purpose of the space academy and who exactly it will serve. What advantage does a space academy offer over civilian schools and universities that offer similar programs? Will commercial space companies have an opportunity to be involved? And what would that look like? While some might see the proposed U.S. Space Academy as a step on the way to Star Trek’s Starfleet Academy https://memory alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Starfleet Academy , there are many real world questions that need to be answered first.
Wendy Whitman Cobb is affiliated with Air University. The opinions and conclusions expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policies or positions of the United States Air Force, the Department of War Defense , or any other U.S. Government agency. Mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations do not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.