Executive Order 14423 creates NASA-led United States Space Academy

The President has signed Executive Order 14423 of August 28, 2026, “Establishing the United States Space Academy,” published in the Federal Register on Thursday, September 3, 2026. The order creates a Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy charged with designing a NASA-led federal academy to train the next generation of astronauts, engineers, operators and warfighters.

The order declares space a critical domain for American national security, economic growth, scientific discovery and technological innovation, and makes it Administration policy to strengthen the Nation’s space workforce by expanding education and leadership development across the space domain.

A NASA-led commission

The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) chairs the Commission, with the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology (APST) and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy (APEP) serving as Vice Chairs and the Deputy Administrator of NASA as Executive Director. The Commission also includes, or may include designees of:

• the Secretary of War;
• the Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff;
• the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;
• the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs;
• the Secretary of the Air Force; and
• other full-time or permanent part-time federal employees invited at the Chair’s discretion.

A 120-day design mandate

Within 120 days of the order, the Commission must submit to the President, through the APST and the APEP, a report proposing key details for the Space Academy. The report must cover a governance framework (including the option of establishing the academy within NASA), an academic and leadership curriculum, service obligations for graduates, applicant prerequisites, and the selection of a permanent physical location.

The Commission is also to recommend administrative actions under existing legal authorities, any legislative steps needed, coordination with existing federal education programs, and an implementation strategy with timelines. The Chair may form working groups that consult experts from academia and industry, reporting directly to the Commission.

Implementation and impact

Following presidential approval and any necessary legislative action, the NASA Administrator will implement the approved recommendations in coordination with relevant agencies, consistent with applicable law and available fiscal resources. The order states it creates no enforceable right or benefit and is subject to the availability of appropriations.

For readers, the order signals a federal push to build a dedicated pipeline of space professionals combining technical rigor with leadership, discipline and public service — with implications for space workforce policy, education and national security.

Source: Federal Register, Vol. 91, No. 170, September 3, 2026, Presidential Documents, p. 56738 (official reference: Executive Order 14423, doc. 2026-18141).