HOUSTON — President Donald Trump awarded NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor on Friday for their service during the Artemis II mission. The awards were presented during a ceremony at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the hub for NASA’s human spaceflight operations.
The Artemis II mission launched on April 1, 2026, from the Space Coast and concluded with a safe splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 10, 2026. This mission marked the first time astronauts launched on NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, aboard the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity. The crew traveled 252,756 miles from Earth, setting a new record for human space travel.
In his address, President Trump highlighted the bravery of the astronauts and acknowledged the numerous individuals at NASA who contributed to the mission. The Congressional Space Medal of Honor, established in 1969, recognizes astronauts for exceptional bravery and contributions to the nation and humanity. There have been 34 recipients of this award since the inception of the space program.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman praised the Artemis II crew’s achievement, emphasizing America’s leadership in space exploration. The success of this mission paves the way for future lunar missions, including Artemis III in 2027 and Artemis IV in 2028.
The astronauts expressed gratitude for being part of this historic mission and shared the award with all those who supported it. As NASA embarks on a series of missions to further explore the Moon and establish a lunar base, the goals include eventually sending astronauts to Mars.
