Trump Announces New Space Academy During NASA Visit, Speaks to ISS Crew

US President Donald Trump announced plans for a new Space Academy during a visit to NASA's Mission Control in Houston, where he also spoke with astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

Trump made the announcement on Friday while visiting the Johnson Space Center. The visit combined his plans for expanding space training with a ceremony honouring the four-member Artemis II crew, which travelled around the Moon in April and set a new record for the farthest distance from Earth reached by a crewed space mission.

TRUMP SPEAKS WITH ISS ASTRONAUTS

During the visit, Trump spoke with NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon and Jessica Meir, members of Expedition 75 aboard the International Space Station.

Trump described the astronauts as pioneers and thanked them for their service, saying he looked forward to welcoming them to the White House after their return.

The conversation also included a brief exchange between the ISS crew and family members present at Mission Control.

Anna Menon, the wife of astronaut Anil Menon, spoke to the crew and congratulated them on their work in orbit.

Anil Menon, a colonel in the US Space Force, told Trump about his pride in serving in space and discussed a spacewalk he had completed earlier in the week.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES NEW SPACE ACADEMY

Trump used the visit to announce plans for a new Space Academy aimed at preparing the next generation of aerospace professionals.

He described the proposed institution as an elite school with strict admission standards and a dedicated campus. Trump compared the planned academy with established US military institutions including West Point, the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, the Air Force Academy and the Coast Guard Academy.

The proposed institution would be associated with the US Space Force and would train both civilian and military aerospace experts.

The announcement comes as the United States seeks to expand its capabilities in space and prepare for increasingly ambitious missions beyond low-Earth orbit.

FOCUS ON MOON AND MARS MISSIONS

During the conversation, Anil Menon highlighted the importance of preparing for future missions beyond low-Earth orbit.

He said the United States was working toward another journey to the Moon, a potential Moon base and eventually missions to Mars.

The comments reflected the broader shift in US space ambitions from maintaining a long-term presence in low-Earth orbit to developing capabilities for exploration farther into space.

ARTEMIS II CREW HONOURED

Trump's Houston visit also included a ceremony to honour the Artemis II astronauts with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

The four-member Artemis II crew travelled around the Moon in April. The mission marked a major milestone in NASA's programme to return humans to the Moon and establish the foundation for future deep-space exploration.

The crew's journey also set a new record for the farthest distance from Earth achieved by a crewed space mission.

Trump's appearance therefore brought together two elements of the US space programme: recognition of astronauts who have already pushed human exploration farther from Earth and plans to build institutions capable of training those who may undertake future missions.

LIGHT MOMENT DURING NASA CALL

The conversation also featured a lighter exchange between Trump and astronaut Jack Hathaway.

After seeing Hathaway's moustache, Trump jokingly told him that he wanted one like it.

Hathaway responded positively, saying that the moustache was a lot of fun.

The informal exchange came during a broader discussion focused on the future of US human spaceflight and the role of astronauts in upcoming Moon and Mars missions.

Trump's proposed Space Academy, if established, would add a new training institution to the country's existing network of military academies while reflecting the growing importance of space operations to both civilian exploration and national security.