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On the 28th, President Donald Trump visited NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, to officially announce the establishment of a 'Space Academy' for training the next generation of space professionals. President Trump emphasized that "if we want to be second in space, we cannot be first on Earth," highlighting that strengthening national space personnel is a key policy of his administration. He also directed the formation of a presidential committee to report on the details for establishing the academy within 120 days.
The United States currently has a total of five military academies, including the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies under the Department of Defense. The newly established Space Academy will be the sixth military academy, reflecting the understanding that enhancing the expertise and identity of each military branch should take precedence over jointness. President Trump explained that differentiated training is necessary from the cadet stage due to the varying combat environments and expertise required by each branch.
Given the importance of inter-service cooperation in U.S. military operations, the Trump administration plans to deeply train junior officers within their respective branches while enhancing jointness through cross-commissioning and joint training programs for mid-level officers. This effort aims to address past issues of inadequate information sharing between branches, ensuring that officers from each service can effectively plan and command joint operations through improved personnel and training systems.