The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen—were awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor on Friday. President Donald J. Trump presented the medals at a ceremony held at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, marking the first time the honor has been bestowed since 2023.
The Artemis II mission, which launched on April 1 and concluded with a Pacific Ocean splashdown on April 10, utilized the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity. During the flight, the crew traveled 252,756 miles from Earth, surpassing the distance record previously held by the Apollo 13 mission. The crew completed a total of 695,081 miles, including a flyby of the Moon.
President Trump praised the astronauts for their "immense courage" and acknowledged the contributions of the engineers, scientists, and specialists who supported the mission. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman noted that the mission demonstrated the agency's leadership in space exploration and highlighted the collaborative effort between NASA, industry partners, and international agencies.
The Congressional Space Medal of Honor was established in 1969 to recognize astronauts who demonstrate exceptional bravery and meritorious service. With this latest presentation, the total number of recipients since the inception of the U.S. space program has reached 34. The Artemis II mission serves as a precursor to future lunar exploration, including the upcoming Artemis III test flight in 2027 and the planned return of astronauts to the lunar surface during the Artemis IV mission in 2028.
Source: NASA
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