Marcia Dunn, Associated Press
The Artemis II astronauts who flew around the moon earlier this year received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor on Friday. President Donald Trump presented the award to the three Americans and one Canadian whose April lunar flyby set a new distance record for humanity. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and other dignitaries attended the ceremony at Houston's Johnson Space Center, home to Mission Control. Trump announced the creation of a U.S. Space Academy for the Space Force, NASA, and the commercial space community during the event, stating that the academy's location has yet to be determined.
Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canada's Jeremy Hansen became the first astronauts to travel to the moon in more than 50 years, coming within 4,067 miles (6,545 kilometers) of the lunar surface while test-driving NASA's new Orion capsule. They were also the first to launch aboard NASA's new moon rocket, which had previously launched only once from Florida's Kennedy Space Center.
The astronauts did not land on the moon but set the stage for next year's Artemis III docking rehearsal in orbit around Earth. Artemis IV's moon landing by two astronauts, near the lunar south pole, could occur as soon as 2028. Trump stated that Americans will return to the moon before the end of his term, with Mars as the next target.
The president referred to the astronauts as "four intrepid space heroes" and acknowledged the contributions of all involved in the Artemis II mission. Isaacman remarked that there are no finer representatives to send as ambassadors to space.
Wiseman and his crew join an exclusive group, with only 30 astronauts having received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor prior to them, many posthumously. The first recipient was Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong, awarded for his historic moon landing in 1969. Other notable recipients include Alan Shepard, John Glenn, and Frank Borman.
The most recent recipients before the Artemis II crew were Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, awarded by President Joe Biden in 2023 for their test flight aboard a SpaceX rocket.
Dozens of astronauts attended the ceremony, including Apollo 17 moonwalker Harrison Schmitt, who noted that his mission was the most productive lunar exploration yet, a record he claimed would soon be surpassed by Artemis.
NASA plans to establish a sustainable moon base near the lunar south pole, where frozen water could potentially be converted into rocket fuel and drinking water. China is also interested in this region. NASA Deputy Administrator Matthew Anderson stated, "The second space race has begun."
At the conclusion of the two-hour ceremony, the Artemis II astronauts presented Trump with a blue flight jacket adorned with space patches, a promise made during their visit to the Oval Office after their mission. Trump then contacted the three U.S. astronauts aboard the International Space Station to inform them of the new U.S. Space Academy and briefly handed the phone to two of their spouses for a quick conversation.