Trump Establishes Space Academy, Awards Medals of Honor to Artemis II Astronauts

HOUSTON—President Donald Trump signed an executive order launching the U.S. Space Academy on Friday during a ceremony at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where he awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to four astronauts who crewed the Artemis II mission.

Administration officials are directed to submit a proposal within 120 days to establish the Space Academy, under NASA’s leadership, to provide technical education and degree programs needed to train the next generation of leaders to help guide NASA, Space Force, and businesses in the private sector.

“It will attract, train, graduate the very best of our nation, that our nation really has to offer,” Trump said. “But first, we have to honor the heroes who are inspiring the next generation of astronauts and pioneers.”

The president applauded the dozens of individuals in NASA’s astronaut corps on the stage behind him before recognizing the Artemis II crew.

“We gather here on these historic grounds to celebrate the immense courage and service of four intrepid space heroes whose sense of daring and adventure led them further from Earth than anyone who’s ever traveled before,” Trump said during the event.

NASA astronauts Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Christina Koch were joined by Canadian Space Agency mission specialist Jeremy Hansen for the flight, as the astronauts traveled 252,758 miles from Earth and covered nearly 700,000 miles on the trip, according to NASA.

“This is a very rare thing,” Trump said of the medal. “It’s for courageous people, brilliant people, bestowed on astronauts who have distinguished themselves with exceptional service to the nation and all of mankind.”

The crew took off on its 10-day lunar flyby mission April 1 from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard the Orion spacecraft named Integrity.

Trump spoke to the astronauts over the phone while they were on their mission before hosting them at the White House for an Oval Office ceremony on April 29 shortly after they returned to Earth.

Congress established the space-themed Medal of Honor in 1969 to recognize astronauts for their “exceptionally meritorious efforts and contributions to the welfare of the nation and of mankind.”

Six space pioneers, Neil Armstrong, Frank Borman, Pete Conrad, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, and Alan Shepard,  were the first to receive the medal in 1978, awarded by President Jimmy Carter. 

Awardees are selected based on recommendations from NASA’s administrator, with the Artemis II crew joining a short list of 30 prior recipients.