Trump is proposing a US Space Academy — if created, it could blur the lines between NASA and the military (op-ed)

This article was originally published at The Conversation .

The publication contributed the article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights .

During a visit to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Aug.

28, 2026, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to create a 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 , 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 the Artemis program, to return astronauts to the Moon , in 2017.

A year later, he announced his support for a new branch of the military dedicated to space .

In 2019, this became reality with the establishment of the Space Force .

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 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.