Trump signs order to create space-focused military academy

President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order to create a new military academy — the U.S. Space Academy — to train people for the U.S. Space Force, NASA and the civilian space industry.

Speaking at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Trump said "the rapid growth of the Space Force and the commercial space industry and the expansion of our ambitions to the moon and far beyond the moon" inspired the new academy.

"It's clear that we need to educate and train an entire generation of skilled service members, engineers, civil operators and everything else to do what we have to do," he added.

Later in the day, Trump made history by becoming the first president to call U.S. astronauts on the International Space Station from the NASA facility's Mission Control Center. He also awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the crewmembers of NASA's Artemis II mission, who flew around the moon earlier this year.

"I just congratulate everybody. And be careful. Be safe. And we love you all," the president told the astronauts aboard the space station, telling them about the new service academy.

Astronaut Jack Hathaway, who is also an officer in the U.S. Navy, celebrated the news, telling Trump, "I graduated from the Naval Academy. I'm sure they're more than excited to support it and have it on board."

Astronaut Jessica Meir, the current space station mission commander, said the crew "will continue doing our best to inspire all of the bright minds and the next generation as well."

Trump offered few details about the future space academy, telling the audience in Houston that he would be choosing a location "very shortly."

During his appearance at the space center, which saw the Artemis II crew present Trump with his own NASA flight jacket, the president expressed optimism about the future of U.S. space exploration.

"Far beyond the moon will someday be thought of a close location, like, like in the old days, the subway, the first stop, the moon will be a close location," Trump said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com