SEPTEMBER 10, 2026 – Secretary of War Pete Hegseth traveled to NASA’s headquarters in Washington, where he attended the first meeting of the Presidential Commission on the U.S. Space Academy.
President Donald J. Trump called for the development of a space academy via an Aug. 28 executive order. The order states that the space domain is critical to national security and that the nation must prepare the next generation of space professionals — including those in the military — in order to defend national interests.
The commission, which is chaired by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, brings together senior leaders from the War Department, the Office of Management and Budget and the National Security Council.
During his brief remarks at the meeting’s outset, Hegseth praised Isaacman and Air Force Secretary Troy Meink — both of whom attended — as well as President Trump for their leadership in getting the counsel assembled and on the path toward developing a space academy.
“We are full speed ahead on this partnership on the United States Space Academy and the need for it. The president’s been a leader in this domain from the beginning: the Space Force in the first term, [the] Space Academy in the second term,” Hegseth said.
Trump established the Space Force, which falls under the Department of the Air Force, Dec. 20, 2019, when the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 was signed into law.
Hegseth went on to say that space is a domain that the U.S. can’t just be “good at.”
“We need to dominate [in space]; and it’s not just what we do at the War Department — it’s what we do across government, at NASA, in private industry, in collaboration at every echelon,” he said. “And so, we see this academy as a key component of ensuring we don’t just lead, but we dominate.”
During his opening statement, Isaacson said that the U.S. is currently in another space race, namely with China and Russia, and that “success and failure comes down to months, not years.”
“This is why I think President Trump created the Space Force in his first term … and why now he has charged us to create the United States Space Academy: to make sure we have this training ground for the next generation of technicians, engineers, operators, pilots and astronauts to serve the needs of NASA, as well as the Space Force and other government agencies,” he said.
“Having an academy where we can train the next generation of space professionals — whether it be civilian or military — is just critically important,” Meink said during his remarks. “So, we are really looking forward to working with [NASA] to make sure that happens, as well as just the increasing partnership we have [with] NASA across the board. … I’m really looking forward to [the collaboration].”
Per the executive order, the committee has until late December of this year to submit a report to the president proposing key details for the establishment of the academy.
By Matthew Olay
Pentagon News