SpaceX CEO Elon Musk publicly backed President Donald Trump’s proposed United States Space Academy after Trump signed an executive order establishing a commission to design it.
Musk responded to the White House announcement on X with two rocket emojis, signaling his support for the initiative aimed at building America’s next generation of space talent.
The proposed NASA-led academy would train astronauts, scientists, engineers, operators, entrepreneurs, civil servants and military personnel for America’s expanding space ambitions.
A presidential commission chaired by the NASA administrator will include representatives from the Pentagon, Air Force, White House and other federal agencies tasked with shaping the program.
Within 120 days, the commission must recommend the academy’s governance, curriculum, applicant requirements, graduate service obligations, permanent location and implementation strategy.
The academy is not yet operational, and its establishment would require presidential approval, potential legislation and dedicated funding before becoming reality.
“American superiority in space depends on the strength, skill, and character of those who explore, secure, and build the industries critical to it,” the executive order stated.
The order follows Trump’s August memorandum targeting more than 1,000 U.S. launches and reentries annually by 2030, amounting to nearly three per day.
That policy directs agencies to accelerate permitting, identify additional launch sites, improve range scheduling and encourage private investment in space infrastructure, while calling on NASA to facilitate commercial transportation to the Moon and robotic access to Mars.
Heading into August’s final trading session, several space-sector stocks posted meaningful monthly gains driven by the expanding policy tailwinds from Washington.
SPCX led August performers with a 31% gain, while Intuitive Machines (LUNR) surged approximately 24% and Firefly Aerospace (FLY) rose around 10% for the month.
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) climbed roughly 3% and Rocket Lab (RKLB) edged approximately 1% higher, even as both stocks remained slightly below their recent peaks.
AST SpaceMobile is deploying a low-Earth-orbit constellation to provide broadband directly to ordinary phones, with about 60 carrier partners covering more than 3 billion potential subscribers.
Rocket Lab’s backlog stood at $2.36 billion, supported by major Space Force awards, while Electron completed its 93rd flight in August and Neutron targets a debut around year-end with possible slippage into 2027.
Intuitive Machines carries a $1.8 billion backlog, is assembling its third Moon mission and recently advanced a multi-satellite communications program valued at over $600 million.
Firefly Aerospace combines Alpha launches with its Blue Ghost lunar landers and is developing Eclipse medium-lift vehicles for future commercial and government missions.
Over the past year, LUNR surged 73%, RKLB gained 34% and ASTS rose 19%, while SPCX fell 12% and FLY plunged 55% despite its recent monthly recovery.
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment was “bearish” for SPCX, ASTS, LUNR and FLY, while RKLB traders remained “neutral” with message volume described as “low” across most tickers.
