Trump awards Congressional Space Medal of Honor to Artemis II astronauts

President Donald Trump presented the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the four astronauts of the Artemis II mission, recognizing their historic achievement of completing the first crewed flyby around the Moon in more than half a century. The ceremony took place at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

"Today, we proudly award the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the remarkable crew of Artemis II. Join me in congratulating Commander Reed Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen," Trump announced during the event. This medal represents the highest distinction the U.S. government bestows upon astronauts, scientists, or aviation personnel for their contributions to the space program.

The Artemis II crew launched aboard the Orion capsule on April 1 from NASA's facilities at Cape Canaveral, returning to Earth on April 10. During their mission, they not only became the first humans to reach lunar orbit since 1972 but also set a new record for traveling farther from Earth than any previous crew. Their journey also served to test critical technologies essential for future lunar landings.

The mission was marked by several significant milestones. Glover became the first Black man to travel to lunar orbit, Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) was the first Canadian, and Koch was the first woman to reach lunar orbit. In return, the crew presented Trump with an Artemis II NASA jacket and patches referencing his two terms as president.

Artemis II is a key part of NASA's ambitious program aiming to return humans to the lunar surface by the end of the decade. The program's next mission, Artemis III, is scheduled for next year and will test orbital docking maneuvers. Artemis IV, planned for 2028, is intended to be the mission that finally lands astronauts on the Moon's surface for the first time in over 50 years.

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Today, we proudly award the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the remarkable crew of Artemis II. Join me in congratulating Commander Reed Wiseman, the pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen.