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US President Donald Trump (Photo: PTI
President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order to begin creating a US Space Academy, a new institution modeled on West Point and other top US military service academies.
Trump said the academy would help train the service members, engineers and civilian operators needed as the US Space Force and commercial space industry grow and Washington expands its ambitions on the moon and beyond.
“A nation cannot be first on Earth if we’re going to be second in space. Just not going to happen. Somehow, it just doesn’t work that way,” Trump added.
Trump also said NASA has begun work on what he called the first nuclear-powered interplanetary spacecraft, which he said is expected to launch on a mission to Mars in 2028.
He said the vessel could be the first in a larger American fleet aimed at making space travel more routine.
First Published: Aug 28 2026 | 11:03 PM IST
