President Trump put his signature on an executive order Friday that lays the groundwork for a brand new military academy dedicated entirely to space, the U.S. Space Academy. The institution is designed to train future members of the Space Force, NASA personnel, and workers heading into the commercial space industry. Trump made the announcement while speaking at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, pointing to a mix of factors behind the decision. He credited the rapid growth of both the Space Force and the private space sector, along with the country's expanding ambitions that stretch well past the moon, as the driving forces behind the new academy. "It's clear that we need to educate and train an entire generation of skilled service members, engineers, civil operators and everything else to do what we have to do," Trump said. During that same visit, Trump also presented the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the crew of NASA's Artemis II mission, the team that flew around the moon earlier this year. Speaking to the astronauts currently aboard the space station, Trump kept his message warm and brief. "I just congratulate everybody. And be careful. Be safe. And we love you all," he told them, also sharing news of the newly announced service academy. Astronaut Jessica Meir, who currently serves as the space station's mission commander, offered her own response, emphasizing the crew's ongoing commitment to inspiring future generations. She said the team "will continue doing our best to inspire all of the bright minds and the next generation as well." The visit itself carried a celebratory tone beyond just the academy announcement. The Artemis II crew presented Trump with his own NASA flight jacket during the event, and the president used the moment to express broader optimism about where American space exploration is headed. Looking ahead, Trump painted an ambitious picture of what space travel could eventually look like. "Far beyond the moon will someday be thought of a close location, like, like in the old days, the subway, the first stop, the moon will be a close location," he said. Sagar is a journalist with an interest primarily in geopolitics and American domestic politics. Before joining Times Now, he wrote for Republic and Sw... View More