Less than two weeks after President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order creating the first United States Space Academy, NASA is already deep into the groundwork. The agency's goal: build out America's next generation of aerospace leaders and workers through a brand-new institution dedicated entirely to space.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman chaired the inaugural meeting of the Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy on September 9, 2026. The gathering signaled just how quickly the administration wants to move from executive order to operational reality.
The day after that commission meeting, NASA published a Request for Information inviting governors — or their designees — to make the case for why their state should host and sponsor the academy. That open call puts states across the country in competition to become home to what could be a landmark institution in American space history.
The Executive Order itself was signed on August 28, 2026, during a ceremony at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, where President Trump also honored the Artemis II crew with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. NASA Administrator Isaacman, Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios, and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett were all present for the signing.
This story was first reported by NASA.
