Politics · India Bureau
Trump announces new military space academy during Houston visit
US President Donald Trump unveiled plans for a new military Space Academy while visiting NASA's Mission Control in Houston, where he also spoke with astronauts aboard the International Space Station, including Indian-origin astronaut Anil Menon.
LSN India ·
President Trump made the announcement during a visit to Johnson Space Centre on Friday, where he placed a call to the orbital laboratory to interact with the crew of Expedition 75. Among the astronauts aboard the ISS were NASA's Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon, and Jessica Meir.
"This is a great honour, to be with you is a great honour and I just want to thank Jessica, Anil, Jack - great Americans, great patriots, brave people," Trump said during the call from Mission Control.
The President praised the crew as "pioneers" for their contributions to space exploration. Following Trump's remarks, astronaut Anna Menon, wife of Anil Menon, and Duke Brady, husband of Jessica Meir, were invited to briefly address the ISS team. "Hi, it's Anna. Great to see you guys up there. We love you guys. You're doing a great job," Anna Menon said.
The formation of the new military space academy represents an expansion of the United States' commitment to space operations and defence capabilities in the emerging space sector.