Trump Announces Establishment of U.S. Space Academy: "Space Is Essential for Economy and Security"

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on the 28th (local time) that the United States will establish the U.S. Space Academy.

Visiting NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, that day, President Trump stated, "During my first term, I created the Space Force as the sixth branch of the U.S. military, and today I am making another historic announcement," before revealing the plan.

He signed an executive order regarding the establishment of the Space Academy.

President Trump emphasized, "Given the rapid growth of the Space Force and the commercial space industry, as well as the expansion of our ambitions to the Moon and beyond, this is truly exciting for me. To carry out what we must do and what we currently do best, we need to educate and train a generation composed of talent across all fields, including skilled service members, engineers, and civilian operators."

He noted that major U.S. military operations, such as the operation earlier this year to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the ongoing maritime blockade against Iran around the Strait of Hormuz, are being aided by the U.S. Space Command.

He further emphasized that the space sector is "essential to our economy and national security. If you are going to be second in space, you cannot be first on Earth."

At the event, President Trump presented the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the astronauts of the crewed exploration mission "Artemis II," who recently returned to Earth after completing a lunar mission.

President Trump said, "Before my term ends (in January 2028), American astronauts will return to the lunar surface, and we are looking forward to it. They will plant a flag at the site of the first permanent American settlement on the Moon."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.