President Trump Awards Congressional Space Medal of Honor to Artemis II Crew

• President Donald J. Trump awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the four-person Artemis II crew on August 28, 2026.
• The crew achieved a record-breaking flight, traveling 252,756 miles from Earth, surpassing the previous record held by Apollo 13.
• The mission, which launched on April 1, 2026, utilized the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft, named 'Integrity'.

Artemis II Crew Recipients

• Reid Wiseman (Commander)
• Victor Glover (Pilot)
• Christina Koch (Mission Specialist)
• Jeremy Hansen (Mission Specialist, Canadian Space Agency)

Mission Significance

• The mission is the first crewed flight of the Artemis program, designed to facilitate a return to the lunar surface.
• The Congressional Space Medal of Honor has been awarded to 34 individuals since 1969 to recognize exceptionally brave and meritorious contributions to humanity and the nation.
• This award marks the first presentation of the medal since 2023.

Future Exploration

• Following the success of Artemis II, NASA is planning the Artemis III test flight in 2027 to demonstrate rendezvous and docking capabilities.
• The Artemis IV mission is scheduled for 2028 and aims to return American astronauts to the surface of the Moon.
• These missions are foundational steps toward establishing a long-term presence on the Moon and eventually sending the first humans to Mars.