Artemis II crew to receive top US space medal for historic lunar journey
Summary
The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission will receive the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, the highest U.S. space award, for their record-setting lunar flyby. The medal ceremony will take place on August 28 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, with President Donald Trump having selected the astronauts for the honor.Key Facts
- Artemis II crew members are Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen.
- They broke Apollo 13’s distance record by traveling 252,756 miles from Earth during their 10-day mission.
- The mission started on April 1 and ended with a safe splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
- Only 30 astronauts have previously received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, including Neil Armstrong and John Glenn.
- President Trump selected the Artemis II crew for the medal following NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman’s recommendation.
- Trump hosted the crew at the White House and expressed confidence in his physical ability to go to space.
- The award ceremony will be live-streamed from NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
- Despite support for the Artemis II crew, President Trump proposed budget cuts to NASA’s space science programs for the 2027 fiscal year.
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