Shibbir Ahmed, HOUSTON, Texas — President Donald Trump awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the four astronauts of NASA’s Artemis II mission Friday, honoring their historic journey around the Moon and their contribution to the future of human space exploration.
Trump presented the medals to NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, during a ceremony at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA confirmed that the four astronauts received the nation’s highest space honor for their service during the Artemis II mission.
The Artemis II crew made history earlier this year by becoming the first humans in more than five decades to travel around the Moon. During the mission, the astronauts traveled farther from Earth than any humans had previously gone, testing NASA’s Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System ahead of future crewed lunar missions.
The crew consisted of Mission Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen.
During the ceremony, Wiseman emphasized that the achievement belonged not only to the four astronauts but also to their families, NASA teams and the international community that supported the mission.
The Congressional Space Medal of Honor was authorized by Congress in 1969 to recognize astronauts whose exceptional service and achievements have made significant contributions to the welfare of the nation and humanity.
Trump Announces U.S. Space Academy
The medal ceremony was also accompanied by another major announcement about America’s future in space. Trump signed an executive order establishing a commission to develop the nation’s first U.S. Space Academy, according to NASA. The proposed institution is intended to help develop the next generation of space professionals and support the growing needs of NASA, the U.S. Space Force and the civilian space industry.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman is set to chair the commission responsible for developing the framework for the new academy. The initiative is part of the administration’s broader effort to strengthen U.S. leadership in space.
The White House described the Artemis II crew as pioneers whose mission demonstrated the United States’ continued commitment to human space exploration. The White House also released video of Trump presenting the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the crew.
The Artemis II mission is expected to serve as a foundation for subsequent Artemis missions aimed at returning astronauts to the lunar surface and establishing a sustained human presence around and on the Moon.
