Trump awards rare Congressional Space Medal of Honor to Artemis II crew

President Donald Trump honored the Artemis II crew with the rare Congressional Space Medal of Honor, celebrating their historic lunar flyby. The ceremony took place at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

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We are proud to award today the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the extraordinary crew of Artemis II.

During the event, Trump presented the medal to the four astronauts: Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen. In April, this crew completed a journey around the moon, achieving a new record for the greatest distance traveled in space. They ventured over 406,000 kilometers from Earth, surpassing the previous record held by Apollo mission astronauts.

Trump described the medal as a rare distinction for courageous and brilliant individuals who have rendered exceptional service to the nation and humanity. The Artemis II mission is significant not only for its technical achievements but also for its demographic milestones. It marked the first time a woman, a Black astronaut, and a non-American ventured to the moon, breaking from the all-white male composition of the Apollo missions.

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This is a very rare distinction. It is intended for courageous and brilliant people, and is awarded to astronauts who have distinguished themselves by exceptional services rendered to the nation and to all of humanity.

The United States aims to establish a lunar base and prepare for future Mars missions through its Artemis program. The return of American astronauts to the lunar surface is anticipated in 2028, during the program's fourth mission. Trump expressed confidence that this would occur before the end of his term. However, experts voice concerns about the feasibility of this timeline, as lander development is ongoing, and China also harbors lunar ambitions.

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American astronauts will return to the lunar surface before the end of my term.