Here's what we know about the "space academy" Trump just announced
During a visit to Johnson Space Center, President Trump on Friday signed an executive order to establish a new commission with the purpose of creating the first national space academy.
During a visit to Johnson Space Center, President Trump on Friday signed an executive order to establish a new commission with the purpose of creating the first national space academy.
The short version
- “It’s clear that we will need to educate and train an entire generation of skilled service members, engineers, and civil operators, and everything else to do what we have to do,” Trump said.
- “I will sign an executive order to begin the process of creating a new national academy.
- Trump signed the executive order as part of a ceremony in Houston during which he awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the four astronauts who flew on Artemis II earlier this year.
What happened
This initiative is being spearheaded by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, who included the development of an “academy” to seed the future NASA workforce as part of his Project Athena plan to revamp US civil space efforts. The goal is to create a top-tier educational institution with free tuition and, in return, graduating students to fulfill a service commitment of several years.
Why it matters
Graduates will have the choice of going into the US Space Force, but the majority of slots will be allocated to NASA and civilian positions, according to people familiar with the project.
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.